^\ 


«>^ ^ 

LIBRARY 

I        UNIVERSITY  OF 
I  CALIFORNIA 

I       SAN  DIEGO 


c^^JZa  S' 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2007  with  funding  from 

IVIicrosoft  Corporation 


http://www.archive.org/details/catalogueofpaintOOvereiala 


CATALOGUE 


OF 


PAINTINGS 


Vassili  Verestchagin 

INCLUDING 

THE  CAMPAIGN  OF  NAPOLEON  I. 
IN   RUSSIA 

AND 

THE    BATTLE   OF   SAN  JUAN    HILL 

ON    EXHIBITION   IN    THE 

ASTOR  GALLERY 

OF  THE 

Waldorf-Astoria 

From  Friday,  Nov.  14th,  to  Wednesday,  Nov.  26th. 


The  Alexander  Press, 

14-16  astor  place, 

New  York. 


NOTICE    OF    SALE 

The 
Verestchagin  Collection 

WILL  BE  DISPOSED  OF 


AT 


UNRESERVED    AUCTION 


ON    THE    EVENING    OF 


Wednesday,  November  26th, 


IN  THE 


GALLERY  of  the  WALDORF-ASTORIA 


JOHN  FEI.I,  O'BRIEN,  Auctioneer. 


CONDITIONS. 


1.  The  highest  bidder  to  be  the  buyer,  and  if  any  dis- 
pute arise  between  two  or  more  bidders,  the  lot  so  in 
dispute  shall  be  immediately  put  up  again  and  resold. 

2.  The  purchasers  to  give  their  names  and  addresses 
and  to  pay  down  a  cash  deposit,  or  the  whole  of  the 
purchase  money,  if  required,  in  default  of  which  the  lot 
or  lots  so  purchased  to  be  immediately  put  up  again  and 
resold. 

3.  The  lots  to  be  taken  away  at  the  buyer's  expense 
and  risk  upon  the  conclusion  of  the  sale  and  the  remain- 
der of  the  purchase  money  to  be  absolutely  paid  or 
otherwise  settled  for  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  auctioneer, 
on  or  before  delivery;  in  default  of  which  the  under- 
signed will  not  hold  himself  responsible  if  the  lots  be 
lost,  stolen,  damaged  or  destroyed,  but  they  will  be  left 
at  the  sole  risk  of  the  purchaser. 

4.  The  sale  of  any  article  is  not  to  be  set  aside  on  ac- 
count of  any  error  in  the  description.  All  articles  are 
exposed  for  public  exhibition  one  or  more  days  and  are 
sold  just  as  they  are,  without  recourse. 

5.  To  prevent  inaccuracy  in  delivery,  and  inconven- 
ience in  settlement  of  the  purchases,  no  lot  can  on  any 
account  be  removed  during  the  sale. 

6.  If,  for  any  cause,  an  article  purchased  cannot  be 
delivered  in  as  good  condition  as  the  same  may  have 
been  at  the  time  of  its  sale,  or  should  any  article  pur- 
chased thereafter  be  stolen  or  misdelivered,  or  lost,  the 
undersigned  is  not  to  be  held  liable  in  any  greater 
amount  than  the  price  bid  by  the  purchaser. 

7.  Upon  failure  to  comply  with  the  above  conditions, 
the  money  deposited  in  part  payment  shall  be  forfeited, 
all  lots  uncleared  within  the  time  aforesaid  shall  be  re- 
sold by  public  or  private  sale,  without  further  notice, 
and  the  deficiency,  if  any,  attending  such  re-sale  shall 
be  made  good  by  the  defaulter  at  this  sale,  together 
with  all  charges  attending  the  same.  This  condition  is 
without  prejudice  to  the  right  of  the  auctioneer  to  en- 
force the  contract  made  at  this  sale,  without  such  re- 
sale if  he  thinks  fit. 


JOHN   FELL   O'BRIEN.   Auctioneer. 


THE  FOLLOWING  FIRMS  WILL  ACCEPT  ORDERS 
TO  PURCHASE  AT  THIS  SALE. 


M.  KNOEDLER,  &  CO.,         -        -        -  355  Fifth  Avbnxje 

W.  SCHAUS,              204  Fifth  Avenue 

DURAND-RUEL, 389  Fifth  Avenue 

ARTHUR  TOOTH  &  SONS,   -        -        -  299  Fifth  Avenue 

JULIUS  OEHME,             -       -       -       -  384  Fifth  Avenue 
FISHEL,  ADLER  &  SCHWARTZ,     35th  and  Fifth  Avenue 

WM.  CLAUSSEN,             -       -       -       -  381  Fifth  Avenue 

PRINZ  BROS., 541  Fifth  Avenue 

C.  W.  KRAUSHARR,       -        -        -        -  260  Fifth  Avenue 


APPRECIATION 


Vassili  Verestchagin  is,  like  all  the  great  masters 
of  the  art  of  painting,  a  man  of  ideals.  He  has  been  a 
deep  observer  of  the  world  as  it  is;  traveling  over  the 
globe,  sketchbook  in  hand,  noting  on  the  spot  what  he 
saw  and  after  choosing  the  most  dramatic  view-point 
so  putting  it  on  canvass  as  to  make  it  live  for  all  time. 

He  has  not  been  a  very  prolific  painter  and  although 
the  majority  of  his  large  pictures  were  painted  with  the 
idea  of  portraying  war,  in  all  its  gruesomness,  it  must 
not  be  understood  that  all  his  work  is  in  that  line.  His 
delineations  of  national  types  are  startingly  true,  and  his 
landscapes  have  been  acclaimed  by  the  most  advanced 
impressionists  as  illustrating  the  best  achievements  of  that 
school. 

A  recent  appreciation  of  him  by  M.  Jules  Claretie, 
Member  of  the  French  Academy,  and  Director  of 
the  Comedie  Frangaise,  a  recognized  critic  of  author- 
ity, and  lends  interest  to  the  invitation  to  American 
criticiscm  made  in  this  exhibition  of  the  Russian  artist's 
latest  works. 

Comedie  Frangaise 
Administrator  General. 

ViROFLAY  (Seine  &  Oise), 

Aug.  9,  1902. 
John  Fell  O'Brien,  Esq. 
Dear  Sir:  — 

I  am  very  happy  to  learn  that  my  friend,  Mr.  Verest- 
chagin, is  going  to  exhibit  his  pictures  at  the  Waldorf- 
Astoria  in  New  York.  It  will  be  there,  as  it  was  in 
Paris  and  elsewhere,  an  important  artistic  event.  Mr. 
Verestchagin  is,  in  his  rendering,  a  painter  who  resembles 
no  other.  He  is  an  artist  who  not  only  makes  you  see, 
but  think.  Had  I  had  the  honor  of  being  one  of  the 
jury  of  the  Nobel  Award,  I  would  not  have  hesitated, 
in  the  name  of  humanity,  to  crown  him,  as  M.  Duinent, 
the  initiator  of  the  Conference  of  Geneva,  was  crowned, 
as  was  also  M.  Sully-Prudhomme,  my  collegiate  of  the 
Academy. 


APPRECIATION 

The  war  pictures  of  Verestchagin  have  a  thrilling  ef- 
fect on  one.  After  painting  War  with  all  its  splendor, 
he  denounces  it  with  his  brush  as  a  philosopher,  or, 
rather,  he  does  not  denounce  it,  he  shows  it  such  as  it 
is,  and  that  glory  is  also  another  name  for  Butchery. 

My  opinion  of  Verestchagin's  art  is  in  accord  with  that 
of  Alexandre  Dumas  Fils,and  Meissonier ;  (while  we  were 
standing  before  a  splendid  canvas  by  Verestchagin,  rep- 
resenting the  Kremlin),  and  Meissonier  was  dwelling 
upon  the  precision  and  truthfulness  of  the  Russian  painter, 
and  praising  his  views  of  India,  his  battle  fields  and  his 
treatment  of  snow,  and  also  his  treatment  of  sunshine, 
then  Alexandre  Dumas  Fils  quoted  Victor  Hugo,  as 
having  written  that  "  Charles  Beaudelaire  has  brought 
to  French  poetry  a  new  emotion,"  and  it  might  be  said 
of  Verestchagin,  that  he  has  done  the  same  for  the  art 
of  painting. 

I  remember  my  impression  when  I  first  saw,  in  Lx)n- 
don,  Verestchagin's  paintings  of  the  Turkestan  War, 
nothing  could  have  struck  me  more  forcibly  —  it  was 
picturesque  and  poignant.  M.  Dumas  Fils,  had  he  told 
me  the  same  sensations  while  gazing  on  the  scenes  of 
the  Russian  War,  which  were,  in  his  opinion,  works  of 
art,  of  tragic  truth,  which  could  only  be  compared  to 
certain  pages  of  Tolstoi. 

My  friend,  M.  Gerome,  the  eminent  painter,  who  is 
the  most  sincere  of  men,  and  hard  to  suit,  can  tell  you 
that  he  has  for  Verestchagin  the  same  admiration  which 
Dumas  Fils  and  Meissonier  had  for  him;  in  fact,  one 
can  have  no  other  opinion,  this  talent,  both  vigorous  and 
determined,  imposes  itself  on  every  one,  as  the  inde- 
pendent character  of  the  artist  forces  sympathy  on  those 
who  have  the  pleasure  of  knowing  him.  Certainly,  to 
know  Verestchagin  personally  in  the  intimacy  of  his  life, 
is  to  love  him,  and  those  who  can  thoroughly  appreciate 
his  work  must  admire  his  ideals     . 

Yours  sincerely, 

Jules  Claretie. 
8 


APPRECIATION 


HIS   TRUE   BIOGRAPHY 


His  work  is  his  biography.  He  has  Hved  every  one 
of  his  pictures,  and  he  has  often  had  to  study  at  almost 
the  cost  of  his  life.  All  that  he  represents  he  has  seen; 
all  that  he  relates  with  his  pencil  he  has  lived.  These 
pictures  are  just  so  many  chapters  detached  from  his 
history.  They  are  the  work  of  an  artist  of  an  excep- 
tional nature.  But  a  few  newspaper  articles  are  not  suf- 
ficient for  the  study  of  such  a  collection.  It  is  worthy 
of  a  book  written  on  the  critical  method  of  Sainte-Beuve, 
a  book  wherein  the  man  would  occupy  a  place  at  least 
as  considerable  as  the  work  itself;  for  the  one  and  the 
other  are  inseparable.  —  Emile  Cardon.  —  Soleil,  Paris. 

DEDICATED   TO   THE    CONQUERORS 

He  is  the  first  Russian  painter  who  has  given  his 
countrymen  a  true  impression  of  war  —  something  besides 
those  official  pictures  where  victory  is  displayed  and 
never  defeat.  Even  when  he  paints  victory  he  never 
separates  it  from  its  sadness,  its  ruin,  its  misery,  its 
mourning  beyond  relief.  I  seem  to  have  always  before 
my  eyes,  as  in  a  dream,  that  pyramid  of  piled-up  skulls 
which  he  met  with  somewhere  in  his  wanderings,  and  of 
which  he  has  made  one  of  his  most  striking  pictures. 
He  wrote  underneath  it,  "  Dedicated  to  the  Conquerors." 
—  Gaulois,  Paris. 

ESSENTIALLY    HUMAN 

When  they  gave  Verestchagin  the  surname  of  the 
Horace  Vernet  of  Russia,  no  doubt  they  thought  that 
they  were  saying  something  in  his  praise;  but  he  cer- 
tainly had  a  right  to  feel  calumniated,  for  the  general 
impression  left  by  his  work  is  not  admiration  for  princes 
nor  glorification  of  war.  In  telling  the  truth  feelingly 
about  the  sufferings  of  the  soldier,  without  distinction 
of  nationality,  with  as  much  pity  for  the  vanquished  as 
for  the  victors,  Verestchagin  has  shown  himself  essen- 

9 


APPRECIATION 

tially  human.  His  pictures,  with  their  poignant  reality 
and  elevated  philosophy,  are  at  the  same  time  a  terrible 
satire  on  ambitious  despots.  Verestchagin  is  a  courtier 
of  nothing  but  misfortune.  A  pupil  of  Gerome,  he 
seems  to  have  traveled  very  much  in  search  of  himself. 
Sometimes  he  has  draw^n  near  to  Meissonier,  then  there 
is  something  in  him  of  Gericault  and  of  Courbet,  and 
again  he  is  a  true  Impressionist  in  the  best  acceptation 
of  the  term.  —  L'Art,  Paris. 

To  look  at  his  studies  you  would  think  you  were  be- 
fore some  Asiatic  Van  der  Heyden.  But  your  emotion 
itself  is  forgotten  under  the  implacable  and  learned  ex- 
actitude of  the  rendering.  At  another  time  it  is  a  sketch, 
a  mere  rough  note  of  an  idea  which  is  the  all-in-all,  and 
then  we  are  far  enough  from  that  Dutchman,  but  nearer 
Rembrandt,  and  sometimes  we  are  in  the  very  midst  of 
the  Impressionist  school.  —  Constitutional,  Paris. 

ESSENTIALLY   MODERN 

We  poor  moderns,  with  our  unmodern  art,  have  some- 
times moments  of  artistic  anguish  in  which  we  feel  sen- 
sible of  all  our  faults  and  short-comings.  The  century 
has  for  eighty  years  of  its  course  been  looking  for  rest 
without  finding  it,  but  at  length  its  efforts  to  put  its 
artistic  house  in  order  seems  likely  to  have  some  result. 
The  realism  of  life  streams  with  a  full  tide  in  every  vein 
of  our  being,  and  the  very  beating  of  our  pulses  seems 
to  speak  a  language  not  to  be  misunderstood.  No  man 
has  ever  painted  like  Verestchagin.  He  is  essentially 
new  —  modern,  in  the  profoundest  sense  of  the  word. 
He  is  of  our  century,  however  Russian  in  manner  and 
subject.  No  earlier  period  could  have  produced  him. 
The  cut-and-dried  artistic  rules  and  receipts  are  worth 
nothing  in  his  case.  The  painter  emancipates  himself 
from  them,  and  his  right  to  do  so  is  proved  by  the  fact 
that  the  spectator  forgets  them  too  the  moment  he  sees 
the  pictures.     "  There  is   always   something  new   from 

10 


APPRECIATION 

Africa,"  was  a  saying  of  the  Romans ;  we  might  para- 
phrase it  in  regard  to  Russia,  and  ask  ourselves  what 
surprises  of  culture  may  not  yet  be  in  store  for  us  in 
Siberia.  Verestchagin  has  gone  to  school  in  the  very 
home  of  color.  He  has  learned  to  see  it  on  the  Ganges, 
the  Nile,  and  in  the  Steppes  of  Turkestan.  His  tech- 
nical skill  is  astonishing,  and  it  is  shown  especially  in 
his  handling  of  snow.  The  fight  against  winter  is  a 
theme  which  supplies  him  with  a  thousand  motives  for 
pictures.  The  sunlight  out  of  doors  and  the  chiaroscuro 
of  indoor  effects  are  equally  familiar  to  him.  Very 
striking  too  is  his  representation  of  great  stretches  of 
flat  country  which  he  knows  how  to  vary  by  the  finest 
modulations  in  tone.  —  Fremdenblatt,  Vienna. 


11 


INTRODUCTORY  ESSAY  ON  THE  CAMPAIGN 
OF  NAPOLEON  I.  IN  RUSSIA 


The  study  of  the  Hfe  and  deeds  of  a  mighty  power  of 
his  time,  Hke  Napoleon  the  First,  is  of  great  interest  — 
I  mean  a  comprehensive  study,  excluding  all  inclination 
toward  the  legendary.  The  legends  that  are  always  con- 
fused with  the  acts  of  a  great  man,  and  above  all,  a 
warrior,  are  so  closely  linked  with  his  memory  that  it  is 
difficult  to  discern  in  the  course  of  events  the  truth  and 
fiction.  The  more  brilliant  his  career  and  the  more  ex- 
traordinary his  actions,  the  more  the  legend  resembles 
the  truth. 

The  twenty  years  of  Napoleon's  career  present  a  series 
of  events  beyond  conception,  and  give  often  to  ordinary 
actions  the  appearance  of  providential  happenings. 

It  is  true  that  in  1812  the  emperor  began  a  struggle 
at  the  same  time  with  men,  climate,  and  indeed  the 
world,  and  necessarily  succumbed  to  the  work.  But  his 
image  is  none  the  "less  dramatic,  and  it  is  certain  that 
I  do  not  wish  to  lower  Napoleon  or  his  genius  in  paint- 
ing the  great  captain  in  several  difficult  positions  of 
his  life  at  the  culminating  point  in  a  career  unique  in 
history. 

In  addition  to  the  explanations  that  I  shall  give  of 
my  pictures,  I  have  gathered  together  in  another  volume 
some  notes  to  which  I  wish  to  call  attention.  I  have 
grouped  together  many  characteristic  extracts  taken  from 
contemporary  memoirs  or  from  testimony  of  witnesses 
about  the  sojourn  of  Napoleon  in  Russia  in  18 12,  and 
have  retained  as  much  as  possible  of  the  simplicity  and 
originality  of  these  accounts. 

It  is  possible  in  reading  these  pages  one  should  say, 
"  but  the .  French  did  nothing  but  massacre,  shoot  and 
pillage."    This  is  because  they  went  there  for  that  pur- 

18 


INTRODUCTION 

pose,  but  there  is  one  reservation  to  make;  under  the 
title  of  "  the  French  in  1812,"  is  understood  in  Russia 
the  mass  of  soldiers  that  came  from  the  four  corners  of 
Europe  to  form  the  Grande  Armee.  As  to  the  French 
(properly  so-called),  I  can  say  that  the  Russian  literature 
agrees  in  showing  them,  although  shooting  without  mercy, 
somewhat  more  generous  than  their  allies,  especially  the 
Suabians,  Wurtemburgers  and  Bavarians,  of  whom  the 
record  is  inexplicable.  The  Poles  also  were  very  cruel, 
but  they  were  settling  an  old  score  with  the  Russians. 

Napoleon  undoubtedly  dominated  the  history  of  the 
century,  and  the  war  of  181 2  remains  the  event  the  most 
dramatic  of  this  history.  The  immensity  of  the  project, 
the  rapidity  of  the  course  of  events  and  the  importance 
of  the  consequences  irresistibly  attract  the  attention  of 
the  artist,  the  politician,  the  philosopher,  and  the  soldier. 

Among  the  events  destined  to  throw  light  on  the  reasons 
of  the  enterprises  directed  by  Napoleon  against  Russia, 
I  should  designate,  first:  the  petition  sent  in  the  year 
1789  by  Bonaparte,  when  First  Lieutenant,  to  the  Rus- 
sian General  Zaborovsky,  begging  to  be  taken  into  the 
service  of  the  Czarina,  Catherine  the  Second.  The  peti- 
tion was  refused,  as  the  petitioner  wished  to  be  admitted 
with  the  rank  of  Major.  It  is  interesting  to  learn  that 
Zaborovsky  never  forgave  himself  for  this  refusal.  In 
the  year  1812  the  old  General,  who  had  left  the  service 
and  lived  in  retirement  in  Moscow,  could  not  forget  that 
he  had  rejected  Bonaparte,  and  in  so  doing  had  in- 
directly been  the  cause  of  the  misfortunes  and  devasta- 
tions which  had  overwhelmed  Russia.  When  the  em- 
peror, Alexander  First,  arrived  in  Moscow  for  his  cor- 
onation, he  questioned  the  General  repeatedly  as  to  this 
event.  Count  Rostopschin  avers  that  he  had  in  his  hand 
the  letter  containing  Bonaparte's  request.  The  second 
fact  of  importance  was  the  proposed  marriage  of  Napo- 
leon to  one  of  the  sisters  of  Emperor  Alexander,  a  scheme 
which  was  frustrated  by  the  intense  dislike  of  the  mother 
of  the  young  princess  to  the  imperial  suitor.     It  would 

14 


INTRODUCTION 

indeed  be  unjust  to  ascribe  the  wounded  vanity  of  the 
lieutenant  and  of  the  emperor  as  the  sole  cause  of  the 
constant  hatred  of  Napoleon  toward  Russia ;  on  the  other 
hand,  when  we  consider  both  his  character  and  his  temp- 
erament, these  facts  must  not  be  overlooked. 

In  the  campaign  of  1812  Napoleon  proved  himself  so 
full  of  ideas  and  contradictory  resolutions,  drew  up  so 
many  impracticable  plans,  and  conceived  so  many  fool- 
hardy combinations,  that  it  is  impossible  to  explain  all 
this  on  the  theory  of  his  desire  to  avenge  himself  for 
the  pretended  offense  inflicted  on  France  and  all  the 
civilized  nations  by  the  Russian  people,  or  to  justify  his 
persistent  animosity  unless  one  takes  into  account  that 
his  vanity  was  mortally  wounded. 

In  spite  of  all  his  genius  the  emperor  was  not  infal- 
lible. After  his  second  marriage  and  during  the  empire, 
Napoleon  appears  to  have  lost  all  perspicacity.  Impa- 
tience carries  him  away  and  his  usual  method  of  strik- 
ing in  rapid  successive  blows  carries  him  of  necessity  to 
destruction. 

Leaving  aside  the  first  and  remote  attempt  to  enter 
into  good  relations  with  Russia  (by  admission  into  the 
Russian  service),  and  considering  on  the  other  hand  the 
second  rebuff  as  the  immediate  cause  of  the  denouement, 
I  wish  to  remark  that  neither  the  Russian  society  nor 
Emperor  Alexander  himself  had  intended  to  hold  France 
at  a  distance  or  had  fostered  against  its  chief  any  un- 
bridled hate. 

It  was  first  the  Princess  Catherine,  after  Tilsit,  that 
Napoleon  thought  to  make  an  Empress,  but  as  soon  as 
his  intentions  became  apparent  and  before  any  official 
measures  could  be  taken,  a  marriage  was  hurriedly  ar- 
ranged between  the  young  princess  and  the  Duke  of 
Oldenbourg. 

The  Emperor,  however,  did  not  allow  himself  to  be 
discouraged,  and  secretly,  but  with  due  observance  to  all 
etiquette,  requested  the  hand  of  the  Princess  Anna.  The 
Czar  would  have  accepted  the  conqueror  as  the  husband 

15 


INTRODUCTION 

of  his  sister,  but  the  dowager  Empress  would  not  even 
listen  to  such  an  alliance.  After  successive  delays  to  his 
demands  Napoleon  recognized  that  it  was  intentional, 
and  without  waiting  for  the  official  refusal,  dated  the 
4th  of  February,  he  held  a  family  council  on  the  6th  of 
February,  at  the  end  of  which  he  married  the  Arch- 
duchess of  Austria.  On  her  side  the  dowager  Empress 
Marie,  not  contented  with  the  rebuff  given  Napoleon 
before  all  Europe,  added  to  the  insult  by  bestowing  the 
hand  of  her  daughter  on  a  petty  German  prince.  The 
offense  of  the  intention  was  but  too  evident.  Napoleon, 
beside  himself  with  anger,  drove  the  Duke  of  Olden- 
bourg  out  of  his  own  domains,  and  after  threatening  the 
whole  of  Alexander's  German  relations  with  the  same 
fate,  began  elaborate  preparations  for  war. 

I  do  not  wish  to  go  into  an  explanation  of  the  reasons 
given,  and  eloquent  and  pathetic  phrases  which  Napoleon 
pronounced  to  justify  a  war  which  he  wished  to  under- 
take, and  which  he  declared  to  be  that  of  the  civilized 
world  against  the  savage.  Europe  fully  recognized  the 
power  of  France  and  the  greatness  of  its  ruler,  and  con- 
scious of  its  own  ability  to  oppose  his  decisions  was  only 
ready  to  accept  every  revelation  of  this  incorporate  Prov- 
idence. 

It  is  possible  that  Napoleon  wished  at  first  to  inspire 
his  adversary  with  fear  by  the  magnitude  of  his  prepar- 
ations for  war,  and  to  compel  him  publicly  to  hujniliate 
himself  before  the  whole  of  Europe,  but  when  Alexander 
in  full  view  of  this  same  Europe  began  to  organize  for 
resistance,  the  emperor  of  the  French  had  to  "  drink  up 
the  uncorked  wine." 

Here  begins  one  of  the  most  instructive  and  tragic 
pages  in  modern  history.  Recognized  by  the  entire 
world  as  a  superior  intellect,  a  great  military  genius, 
Napoleon  could  not  stop  on  the  verge,  and  in  spite  of 
his  own  wishes,  expressed  many  times,  to  stop  in  time, 
and  not,  like  Charles  the  XII,.  to  penetrate  into  the 
heart  of  Russia,  in  spite  of  his  comprehensive  vision,  he 

16 


INTRODUCTION 

let  himself  be  dragged  into  the  heart  of  the  immense 
country  where  the  Grande  Armee  was  soon  to  become 
engulfed  in  the  snow.  Fatigued  by  difficult  marches 
sometimes  under  a  burning  sun  and  sometimes  under 
excessive  cold,  the  military  spirit  was  lost,  and  the  huge 
territory  traversed  but  not  conquered.  Misled  by  the 
tactics  of  the  enemy,  who  surpassed  him  in  endurance 
and  tenacity,  the  Emperor  marches  onward,  strewing  his 
path  with  corpses.  He  hardly  arrived  at  Vitebsk  before 
he  declared  the  campaign  at  an  end.  "  Here  I  shall 
halt,"  he  said,  "  look  about  me,  collect  my  forces,  let  my 
army  rest,  and  find  a  new  Poland.  Two  mighty  rivers 
mark  out  the  limits  of  our  position.  We  will  build 
block-houses,  form  a  square  with  our  artillery,  construct 
barracks  and  store  up  provisions.  In  1813  we  shall  be 
in  Moscow;  in  1814  at  St.  Petersburg.  A  war  with 
Russia  is  a  war  of  three  years." 

There  is  reason  to  believe  that  had  Napoleon  remained 
in  Lithuania,  the  good  natured  and  pacific  character  of 
Alexander  would  have  led  this  monarch  to  have  brought 
about  peace.  But  Napoleon  lost  patience,  abandoned 
Witebsk  and  pressed  forward.  However,  he  decided  not 
to  pass  Smolensk,  the  key  to  the  two  roads  to  Moscow 
and  St.  Petersburg,  roads  which  he  must  control  in  order 
to  be  able  to  continue  his  march  in  the  springtime  on  the 
two  capitals. 

At  Smolensk  he  counted  on  resting  and  establishing 
himself  and  putting  everything  in  order,  and  if  Russia 
refused  to  submit,  that  would  he  the  end  of  her.  But 
Smolensk  was  abandoned  in  its  turn.  Napoleon  became 
impatient  again  and  pressed  forward  once  more. 

It  was  at  Moscow  that  this  gigantic  enterprise  was 
crushed.  Those  who  participated  began  to  murmur,  and 
those  who  conducted  it  began  to  lose  their  heads.  At 
Moscow  he  humiliated  himself  before  Alexander:  he  let 
him  understand,  as  if  on  purpose,  the  difficulty  of  his 
position.  By  the  first-comer  he  sent  message  upon  mes- 
sage;   he  overwhelmed  the  Czar  with  amiable  words. 

17 


INTRODUCTION 

He  assured  him  of  his  friendship  and  his  brotherly  de- 
votion, and  without  waiting  a  response  to  his  letters  he 
sent  his  generals.  He  wished  to  make  peace ;  "  I  must 
have  peace,"  said  he  to  Lauriston,  in  sending  him  to  find 
Kutusoff.  "  Peace  at  any  price  save  only  honor."  Never- 
theless, as  General,  he  permitted  pillage,  while  as  Em- 
peror he  became  irritated  by  being  unable  to  stop  it.  He 
wished  to  march  upon  St.  Petersburg  at  the  beginning 
of  winter,  and  as  if  to  mock  the  chiefs  of  his  army,  he 
ordered  the  purchase  of  twenty  thousand  horses  and  great 
quantities  of  forage  in  a  country  already  completely 
ruined. 

Then  came  retreat  with  intentional  delays  to  preserve 
booty.  The  Russians  took  the  outposts  and  barred  the 
passage  to  Malo-Iaroslavetz.  The  division  of  the  army 
into  independent  columns  permitted  them  to  be  fought 
one  after  the  other;  they  were  almost  entirely  destroyed. 
Systematic  burning  by  the  advance  guard  of  the  villages 
through  which  they  passed,  demoralized  and  ruined  the 
rest  of  the  army.  In  the  end  the  license  permitted  the 
soldiers  to  profane  the  churches,  to  starve  and  put  to 
death  the  prisoners,  provoked  the  population  which  was 
irritated  to  horrible  retaliations.  Here  and  there,  as  at 
Krasnoie,  the  emperor  showed  some  gleams  of  genius, 
but  they  were  only  the  manifestations  of  the  great  force 
of  his  soul,  the  last  intermittent  but  powerful  gleams  of 
a  star  which  was  about  to  be  extinguished. 

Vassili  Verestchagin 


18 


CATALOGUE 


—  AND  — 


ORDER  OF   SALE 


CATALOGUE 


I 

San  Juan  Hill 

That  part  of  the  hill  up  which  Roosevelt  led  the  Rough 
Riders. 


Comer  of  the  Morro  Castle  at  Santiago 

Showing  in  the  distance  part  of  the  naval  battle  and 
the  blowing  up  of  the  Spanish  ship  Oquendo. 

3 
Principal  Gate  leading  to  Morro  Castle,  Havana 

The  U.  S.  troops  passed  through  this  gate. 


4 

U.  S.  Battery 

Commanding  the  entrance  of  the  Harbor  of  Santiago 
de  Cuba. 

5 
Far  from  Home 

H.  $o}i  in.,  W.  i6}i  in. 

A  typical  American  soldier  in  the  American  army  of 
occupation  of  the  Philippines. 

21 


VERESTCHAGIN   COLLECTION 

6 

General  MacArthur  and  his   Staff  at  the   Battle   of 
Caloocan,  Feb.  lo,  1899 

H.  48  in.,  W.  29  in. 

Fought  a  few  days  later  than  the  battle  of  Santa  Ana. 
The  troops  engaged  were  the  ist  Brigade,  2nd  Division, 
8th  Army  Corps,  and  part  of  the  2nd  Brigade  of  the 
same  Division.  The  troops  were  commanded  by  Gen. 
Arthur  MacArthur  in  person,  and  consisted  of  the  loth 
Kansas  Regiment,  U.  S.  Volunteers,  a  Light  Battery  of 
the  6th  U.  S.  Artillery,  2  Batteries,  Utah  Light  Artillery, 
1st  Montana  Regiment,  U.  S.  Volunteers,  loth  Penn- 
sylvania Regiment,  U.  S.  Volunteers,  the  3rd  Artillery, 
1st  Colorado  Volunteers  and  the  ist  Nebraska  Volunteers. 
The  position  occupied  by  the  Headquarters  of  Gen.  Mac- 
Arthur  was  on  top  of  a  row  of  tombs  in  the  cemetery 
of  La  Loma  Church  near  Manila.  The  battle  was  fought 
for  the  possession  of  the  town  of  Caloocan.  Col.  Frost 
occupied  this  entrenched  cemetery  with  his  regiment. 
The  forward  movement  began  about  3  p.  m.  and  con- 
tinued until  dark.  The  movement  began  by  throwing 
forward  part  of  the  3rd  Artillery  and  loth  Pennsylvania 
Volunteers  well  to  the  right  for  a  demonstration;  the 
whole  line  then  moved  forward  and  swinging  gradually 
to  the  left  carried  the  earth  works  constructed  by  the 
insurgents,  on  the  south  of  Caloocan  as  well  as  all  along 
the  east  side  of  Caloocan.  Very  strong  intrenchments 
had  been  constructed  over  the  railroad  bed  just  north  of 
Caloocan,  where  some  artillery  was  used  by  the  insur- 
gents. 

This  was  probably  the  most  picturesque  fight  during 
the  entire  insurrection.  From  the  point  of  view  of  the 
Commanding  General  at  La  Loma  Church  nearly  all  the 
troops  could  be  seen  during  the  entire  movement.  The 
3rd  Artillery,  commanded  by  Major  (now  General) 
Kobbe,  moved  as  if  in  extended  order  drill,  never  losing 


VERESTCHAGIN    COLLECTION 

the  regularity  of  formation  or  control  of  their  fire.  As 
an  incident  of  the  battle  to  the  observer,  the  following 
might  be  mentioned: 

General  Kobbe  was  riding  his  pony  with  the  advanced 
Hne,  when  General  Bell  (then  Major  Bell),  who  had 
command  of  several  companies  of  native  scouts,  appeared 
from  the  right,  approached  General  Kobbe  and  in  a  heavy 
part  of  the  fire  chatted  for  some  moments  in  the  open. 
General  Kobbe  drew  a  cigar  from  his  pocket,  struck  a 
match  and  lighted  it  and  went  on  as  if  at  ordinary  drill. 

The  casualties  on  the  American  side  of  this  fight  were 
about  20  killed  and  some  40  wounded.  The  casualties  on 
the  side  of  the  insurgents  were  about  200  killed  and  400 
wounded.  —  Memoranda  of  Capt.  Wm.  G.  Haan. 


Battle  near  Santa  Ana,  Manila 
H.  S^Va  in-j  W.  71^  in. 

Fought  on  the  morning  of  February  5,  1899,  between 
U.  S.  Troops  and  native  insurgents  of  the  Philippine 
Islands.  The  United  States  troops  engaged  were  the  ist 
Brigade,  ist  Division,  8th  Army  Corps,  consisting  of  the 
1st  Washington  Volunteers,  the  2d  Oregon  Regiment  of 
Volunteers,  the  ist  California  Regiment  of  Volunteers, 
Company  A,  U.  S.  Engineers  and  the  Wyoming  Batallion 
U.  S.  Volunteers. 

The  fight  began  at  daylight  and  lasted  until  10.30 
o'clock,  A.  M.  The  brigade  was  commanded  by  Gen. 
Charles  King,  U.  S.  Volunteers.  The  ist  Division  was 
commanded  by  Major-General  Thomas  M.  Anderson, 
U.  S.  Volunteers. 

The  movements  of  the  battle  of  Santa  Ana  were  gen- 
erally directed  by  General  Anderson  around  a  point  known 
as  "  Battery  Knoll."  (This  is  the  point  from  which  the 
artist  took  his  observation.) 

28 


VERESTCHAGIN    COLLECTION 

General  Charles  King  was  in  immediate  command  of 
the  line  in  front  of  Santa  Ana. 

The  movement  across  the  small  creek  near  Battery 
Knoll  began  about  7:30  in  the  morning  and  advanced 
gradually  to  a  point  about  half  way  to  Santa  Ana,  where 
a  considerable  firing  took  place  and  little  movement  for- 
ward was  made  for  nearly  an  hour.  The  right  wing, 
under  command  of  General  (then  Colonel)  James  F. 
Smith,  I  St  California  Volunteers,  was  pushed  well  to  the 
front  towards  San  Pedro  Macati  and  then  swung  into 
the  left  upon  Santa  Ana,  forming  a  partial  envelope. 
The  movement  was  then  gradually  forward  until  the  city 
of  Santa  Ana  was  taken  at  about  10:15  a.  m. 

The  casualties  on  the  American  side  consisted  of  14 
killed  and  about  60  wounded.  The  casualties  on  the  side 
of  the  insurgents  were  never  accurately  known,  but  from 
the  number  that  were  buried  the  next  day,  it  appeared 
that  approximately  300  were  killed  and  not  less  than  five 
or  six  hundred  wounded. 

The  strength  of  the  troops  in  Santa  Ana  were  com- 
posed of  a  division  commanded  by  General  Pio  del  Pilar, 
who  however  was  not  in  immediate  command.  The  line 
was  immediately  commanded  by  General  Ricarte,  who  it 
is  said  disappeared  to  the  rear  early  in  the  action. 

The  insurgent  troops  contested  the  ground  very  stub- 
bornly for  several  hours.  This  was  shown  from  the  fact 
that  in  one  trench  about  50  yards  long,  34  dead  were 
found.    Similar  evidences  were  found  in  many  places. 

The  two  pieces  of  Artillery  on  Battery  Knoll  did  ex- 
cellent execution,  both  towards  Santa  Ana  and  towards 
the  right  in  driving  away  parties  having  a  flank  fire  on 
the  Brigade  moving  on  Santa  Ana.  —  Memoranda  of 
Capt.  Wm.  G.  Haan. 


A  Deserter,  examined  by  the  Cavalry  Officers  of  the 
Vanguard  to  discover  whether  he  is  a  spy 

H.  42  in.,  W.  51  in. 

24 


VERESTCHAGIN    COLLECTION 

9 

Battle  at  Zapote  Bridge 

This  battle  was  fought  between  2  p.  m.  and*  3  130  p.  m. 
June  13,  1899.  General  Lawton  was  in  command.  Cap- 
tain Seay  commanded  the  infantry  and  Lieutenant  Kenly 
the  artillery.  The  loss  was  not  very  great  on  the  Amer- 
ican side,  about  six  killed  and  fifteen  wounded.  The 
most  striking  incident  of  the  fight  was  the  use  of  the 
mountain  artillery,  which  was  worked  at  the  close  range 
of  35  or  40  yards. 


10 
The  Insurgent  Spy 


II 

"  You  are  hit,  Sergeant?  "    "  Yes,  Sir 

H.  40^  in.,  W.  2954  in. 


12 

Battle  of  San  Juan: 

^'COME   IN   BOYS!!'' 

25 


VERESTCHAGIN    COLLECTION 

Awaiting  Peace 
H.  23^4  in.,  W.  29J/^  in. 

Napoleon,  who  had  always  been  remarkable  for  his 
extreme  rapidity  of  thought  and  action,  now  lost  courage 
and  could  determine  on  no  direct  course.  He,  who  in  the 
year  1805  had  been  able  suddenly  to  abandon  the  Bou- 
logne undertaking,  begun  with  so  much  trouble  and  cost, 
in  order  to  lead  all  his  forces  into  the  field  with  incred- 
ible rapidity  against  Austria;  he,  who  a  year  later  dic- 
tated, without  the  slightest  mistake  or  miscalculation,  all 
the  movements  of  his  army,  as  far  as  Berlin  itself,  who 
not  only  fixed  beforehand  upon  the  date  of  his  entry  into 
the  Prussian  capital,  but  even  appointed  the  Governor  — 
found  himself,  after  the  burning  of  Moscow,  which  de- 
stroyed all  his  hopes  and  plans,  in  a  lamentable  state  of 
indecision.  At  one  time  he  almost  signed  an  order  direct- 
ing the  army  to  hold  itself  in  readiness  to  march  against 
St.  Petersburg,  but  he  soon  gave  up  this  plan.  He  wished 
to  attack  Kutusoff,  become  master  of  Tula  and  Kaluga, 
the  arsenal  and  storehouse  of  Russia,  and  thus  make  a 
new  way  for  his  winter  quarters  in  Lithuania;  but  again 
he  changed  his  mind.  Finally,  he  thought  of  attacking 
Wittgenstein  with  all  his  forces,  but  could  not  determine 
upon  this  movement,  as  it  might  have  borne  the  appear- 
ance of  a  retreat. 

The  idea  of  gaining  possession  of  St.  Petersburg  and 
compelling  the  Emperor  Alexander  to  come  to  terms  was 
the  most  attractive  to  Napoleon.  But  as  this  could  not 
possibly  be  carried  out  before  the  winter,  he  cast  about  for 
some  other  means  of  enforcing  peace.  Alexander  had 
already  received,  or  would  within  a  few  days  receive,  his 
amiable  and  friendly  letter,  dated  from  Moscow.  Natur- 
ally, he  thought,  the  Emperor  would  not  fail  to  embrace 
this  opportunity  of  entering  into  negotiations  with  him; 
and  thus,  full  of  torturing  uncertainty,  he  waited  and 
waited  for  his  answer  from  the  Russian  Emperor. 

26 


VERESTCHAGIN    COLLECTION 

Marshal  Davout  in  the  Monastery  of  Tchoudow 

H.  48  in.,  W.  305^  in. 

Davout  had  his  headquarters  in  the  new  convent  of  the 
Virgins.  When,  however,  he  came  in  the  exigencies  of 
the  service  to  the  Kremlin,  he  stopped  at  Tchoudow  Mon- 
astery, where  the  altar  had  been  thrown  out  and  his  camp- 
bed  put  in  its  place.  Two  privates  mounted  guard  on 
either  side  of  the  holy  door. 

Return  from  the  Palace  of  Petrowsky 

H.  34>4  in.,  W.  54  in. 

From  the  5th  to  the  17th  of  September  it  rained  heavily, 
which  diminishes  without  suppressing  altogether  the  con- 
flagration, and  when  Napoleon  returned  from  the  Palace 
of  Petrowsky  to  the  Kremlin,  the  city  not  only  was  smok- 
ing still,  but  was  in  flames  in  some  places.  The  camp  of 
the  French  troops  which  surrounded  the  palace  extended 
as  far  as  the  gate  of  Twer.  The  Generals  occupied  the! 
factories.  The  cavalry  camped  on  the  avenues.  In  every 
direction  great  fires  were  lighted,  fed  by  window  frames, 
doors  and  all  kinds  of  furniture.  Around  these  burning 
piles,  on  wet  straw,  were  grouped  the  officers  and  soldiers 
begrimed  and  black  with  smoke,  sitting  in  arm  chairs,  or 
lying  on  sofas  garnished  with  rich  materials.  They 
wrapped  their  feet  up  in  costly  furs  and  oriental  shawls, 
and  ate  from  silver  plates  a  black  soup  of  horse-flesh 
mixed  with  ashes.  One  could  see  in  the  city  but  the  re- 
mains of  houses,  and  everywhere  a  sickening  odor  of 
burning  came  from  the  ruins.  In  most  of  the  streets  it 
was  difficult  to  effect  a  passage  on  account  of  the  crum- 
bling of  the  walls  and  the  piles  of  household  furniture  and 
other  articles. 

The  Emperor  met  everywhere  bands  of  soldiers  drag- 
ging their  plunder  with  them  or  driving  before  them  like 

27 


VERESTCHAGIN    COLLECTION 

beasts  of  burden  Russians  who  bent  double  under  their 
loads.  The  men  of  the  different  corps,  most  of  them 
drunk,  refused  to  obey  their  officers  and  fought  one  an- 
other for  their  plunder.  Napoleon,  though  accustomed 
to  view  with  a  calm  curiosity  the  most  frightful  battle- 
fields, could  not  help  being  affected  by  this  spectacle.  Im- 
mediately upon  his  return  he  interested  himself  in  the  sad 
condition  of  the  foreigners  and  especially  the  French,  but 
for  the  tattered  starving  Russian  who  wandered  here  and 
there  he  had  no  more  consideration  than  to  establish  a 
court-martial,  which  rid  him  of  those  he  thought  in- 
cendiaries, that  is  to  say,  of  almost  all  those  who  dared  to 
show  themselves  on  that  day. 

"  At  one  time,"  relates  a  citizen  of  Moscow,  "  I  saw  the 
people  running  towards  a  place  where  numerous  French 
were  going  also.  They  were  going  to  hang  some  so- 
called  incendiaries  that  these  brigand-soldiers  had  gath- 
ered in.  Among  them  I  recognized  one ;  he  was  a  servant 
from  the  house  of  Korsakoff ;  he  was  old  and  blind.  Was 
it  possible  that  he  had  been  an  incendiary !  He  had  al- 
ready one  foot  in  the  tomb.  They  took  all  those  who  fell 
into  their  hands  and  made  of  them  incendiaries.  When 
the  rope  was  put  around  their  neck  they  began  to  beg  in 
a  manner  that  drew  tears  from  several  among  us,  but  the 
hands  of  the  blackguards  did  not  falter.  They  hanged 
some  and  shot  others  to  make  an  example  and  to  scare 
those  that  were  looking  on." 

But  after  the  arrival  of  Napoleon  at  the  Kremlin  the 
order  to  stop  this  pillage  was  given  and  repeated  without 
success.  "  The  Emperor,"  one  may  read  in  the  reports, 
"  saw  with  much  sorrow  that,  in  spite  of  his  express  com- 
mands, the  pillage  continued  with  the  same  violence." 
"  From  to-morrow,  the  30th  of  September,"  says  another 
order,  "  all  soldiers  who  are  arrested  for  pillaging  will  be 
judged  with  the  greatest  severity,"  but  the  orders  of 
Napoleon  were  ineffectual.  The  looting  continued,  and 
the  whole  French  army  was  soon  no  more  than  a  horde 
overladen  with  booty. 


VERESTCHAGIN    COLLECTION 

i6 

The  Hut  in  Gorodnia:  Advance  or  Retreat? 

H.  4oy2  in.,  W.  59>^  in. 

Napoleon  was  in  Borowsk  when  he  received  the  good 
news  of  the  occupation  of  Malo-Iaroslavetz  by  a  French 
division.    This  occupation  was  effected  without  a  battle, 
the  French  having  arrived  ahead  of  the  Russians  on  the 
road  to  Kalouga,    During  this  whole  day  the  emperor  on 
horseback  kept  a  watchful  eye  upon  the  country.     His 
eyes  were  kept  on  the  left  side  of  the  route,  from  which  he 
feared  to  see  the  Russian  army  issue,  but  the  latter  was 
not  to  be  seen,  and  he  passed  a  tranquil  night.    But  on  the 
following  day,  the  24th  of  October,  he  learned  that  "  the 
Russians  were  there,   and  that  they  had  defeated  and 
driven  from  laroslavetz  the  French  division,  which  had 
been  expecting  the  corps  of  the  Viceroy  Eugene  to  come 
to  its  help,  and  that  the  struggle  had  been  sanguinary." 
Napoleon  in  great  excitement  hurried  to  one  of  the  neigh- 
boring heights  and  listened  eagerly.     Could  the  Barbar- 
ians have  been  too  cunning  for  him !    Was  it  possible  that 
the  old  fox,  Kutusof f ,  had  outwitted  him !    Or  could  he 
himself  have  been  too  slow !     Could  he.  Napoleon,  have 
been  the  cause  of  this  defeat  through  his  want  of  energy ! 
If  he  had  not  for  a  whole  day  held  back  the  Prince  Eugene 
at  Fominskoe,  the  prince  would  have  already  been  at 
Malo-Iaroslavetz,  and  consequently  at  Kalouga,  and  they 
would  have  been  in  advance  of  the  enemy;  that  was  an 
assured  line  of  retreat.    'How  idiotic  not  to  press  the 
march,  to  reduce  the  baggage  of  the  troops,  the  marshals, 
and  his  own !     He  was  too  late,  and  now  what  chances ! 
Fine  weather,  his  army  leaving  Moscow  rested  and  re- 
mounted; all  due  to  him  as  much  as  to  Kutusof f;  all 
ruined,  and  his  fault !    He  listens,  he  listens  again ;  steady 
cannonading !     It  is  certainly  a  battle !     It  is  now  clear 
to  him  that  it  is  no  longer  a  question  of  fame,  but  of 
saving  the  army  and  of  flight. 

29 


VERESTCHAGIN   COLLECTION 

When  the  firing  of  the  cannon  became  more  and  more 
rare,  he  entered  one  of  the  huts  of  the  hamlet  of  Gorodnia, 
some  miles  from  Malo-Iaroslavetz,  and  called  together 
the  marshals  who  were  at  hand. 

All  through  the  night  one  report  succeeded  another, 
telling  him  that  the  field  of  battle  remained  in  the  hands 
of  the  French.  The  Russians,  repulsed  but  sheltered  in 
the  forest,  occupied  a  stronger  position  on  the  other  side 
of  the  town  and  their  ranks  were  augmented  from  hour 
to  hour.  At  last  came  the  news  that  the  army  of  Kutu- 
soff  disclosed  the  intention  of  turning  the  left  wing  of 
the  French  by  the  road  of  Medyne,  and  that  there  was  no 
choice  except  to  engage  in  a  general  battle,  or  to  beat  a 
retreat.  At  eleven  o'clock  Marshal  Bessieres,  sent  to 
reconnoitre,  returned  and  reported  that  the  position  of  the 
Russians  was  impregnable.  The  Emperor  folded  his  arms 
on  his  breast.  "  Do  you  hold  yourself  responsible  for 
what  you  are  saying?"  Bessieres  repeats  his  report, 
and  assures  him  that  the  Russian  position  is  so  solid  that 
with  three  hundred  men  they  could  hold  in  check  an  entire 
army.  He  ventures  to  propose  retreat,  and  is  backed  by 
other  officers.  The  emperor  listens  to  their  opinions  and 
asks  Count  Lobau,  "  What  is  your  advice  ?  "  "  Retreat, 
sir,  by  the  shortest  road,  and  as  soon  as  possible." 

Napoleon,  always  with  his  arms  folded,  his  head  bent, 
remained  sitting  in  an  attitude  of  deep  thought.  There 
was  no  longer  any  doubt  he  had  made  a  mistake,  and  he 
alone  was  responsible,  he  could  not  accuse  any  one  else. 
The  image  of  Charles  XII.,  so  often  mentioned  during 
this  campaign,  and  his  blunders,  which  he  had  so  firmly 
determined  not  to  repeat,  appeared  before  his  eyes  in  spite 
of  him.    How  had  it  all  happened ! 

As  usually  occurs  in  such  cases,  when  conscience  brings 
all  our  actions  in  a  lightning  flash  before  our  eyes,  he  saw 
in  a  moment  the  whole  history  of  the  campaign,  from  the 
occupation  of  Moscow  to  the  present  time. 

He  remembered  the  order  given  by  him  to  Marshal  Mortier, 
appointed  Military  Governor  of  the  capital,  to  prevent  all  incen- 
diarism, all  plundering :    "  Your  head  will  answer  for  it  I    Defend 

30 


VERESTCHAGIN    COLLECTION 

Moscow  above  all  and  against  all !  "  Then  came  the  dreadful 
night  which  brought  to  his  ears  the  sad  reports  of  incendiarism. 
He  had  been  overcome  by  them  and  could  find  no  rest.  Again 
and  again  he  had  called  up  his  attendants  and  made  them  repeat 
these  rumors,  always  hoping  that  they  could  not  substantiate  them, 
till,  at  two  o'clock  in  the  morning,  the  flames  broke  forth!  He 
had  hurried  in  person  to  the  scene  of  the  conflagration,  giving  one 
order  after  the  other,  scolded,  threatened.  The  fire  seemed  to  be 
extinguished,  and  he  had  returned  to  the  Kremlin  somewhat  reas- 
sured. He  had  at  last  seen  himself  the  possessor  of  the  Palace  of 
the  Muscovite  Tsars. 

"  Now  we  shall  see,"  he  said,  "  what  the  Russians  will  do 
next!  If  they  will  not  now  begin  to  treat  for  peace  they  must 
be  made  to  do  so  by  patience  and  perseverance.  We  are  now 
in  winter  quarters,  and  we  will  show  the  world  the  spectacle 
of  an  army  peaceably  wintering,  surrounded  by  a  hostile  popu- 
lation, like  a  ship  in  the  midst  of  Arctic  ice !  In  the  spring  we 
will  begin  the  war  anew.  But  Alexander  will  never  let  matters 
come  to  this  extremity,  we  shall  agree  and  conclude  peace." 

Napoleon  had  evidently  foreseen  all  these  contingencies  —  the 
bloody  struggle  before  Moscow,  the  long  stay  at  Moscow  itself, 
the  severe  winter,  even  disasters ;  but,  with  the  city  in  his  power, 
and  250,000  soldiers  at  his  back,  he  thought  himself  secure  against 
the  worst. 

But  then  came  the  unforeseen  —  the  city  was  engulfed  in  a 
huge,  inconceivable  conflagration.  The  earth  seemed  to  open 
and  spit  out  the  fires  of  hell.  Even  now,  when  thinking  over  the 
events  of  that  night,  he  shuddered  at  the  recollection  of  his  awak- 
ening in  the  double  glare  of  dawn  and  of  these  terrible  flames, 
remembered  his  order  that  the  fire  should  be  put  out  at  any  cost, 
and  the  conviction,  to  which  he  was  speedily  driven,  that  this 
was  an  order  impossible  to  execute,  and  that  there  was  a  will 
at  work  even  stronger  than  his  own. 

This  conquest,  for  the  sake  of  which  he  had  made  every  sac- 
rifice, which,  like  a  shadow,  he  had  endeavored  to  seize,  eluded 
his  grasp,  vanished  in  fire,  in  clouds  of  smoke,  in  the  crackling 
and  crumbling  of  falling  buildings !  Again  he  called  to  mind 
how,  in  his  excitement,  he  did  not  know  where  to  begin,  what  to 
undertake;  how  he  had  sat  down,  stood  up,  sat  down  again;  had 
set  about  some  urgent  work,  thrown  it  aside,  rushed  to  the 
windows  to  watch  the  track  of  the  fire,  and  then  cried :  "  This, 
then,  is  what  they  are,  these  barbarians,  these  Scythians !  How 
many  magnificent  buildings  —  palaces!  What  resolution!  What 
men ! " 

The  panes  near  which  he  stood  were  so  hot  that  they  burnt 
his  face,  and  the  men  placed  on  the  roofs  had  scarcely  time  to 

81 


VERESTCHAGIN    COLLECTION 

extinguish  the  sparks  as  they  fell.  A  rumor  spread  that  the 
Kremlin  was  undermined,  and  many  servants,  and  even  court 
officials,  lost  their  heads  with  fear.  Napoleon  had  sadly  watched 
the  flames  snatching  away  his  brilliant  conquest,  even  blocking 
up  his  way  out  of  the  Kremlin,  and  holding  him  prisoner.  He 
had  seen  the  neighboring  buildings  fall  victims  to  the  flames,  and, 
watching  the  ring  of  fire  close  in  around  him,  had  already  begun 
to  breathe  smoke  and  ashes. 

The  King  of  Naples  and  Prince  Eugene  hurry  to  him,  and, 
together  with  Berthier,  beg  him  on  their  knees  to  leave  the  palace, 
but  he  still  remains. 

At  last  the  report  is  brought  in,  "  Fire  in  the  Kremlin !  The 
incendiary  captured ! " 

He  now  makes  up  his  mind  to  leave  the  Kremlin,  rushes  down 
the  celebrated  Strelitz  Staircase,  and  gives  orders  to  be  taken  to 
the  Petrowsky  Palace  outside  the  city.  He  must  hurry,  for  the 
flames  around  him  increase  at  every  moment.  He  hastens  to  the 
river,  whence  a  small  winding  street  leads  him  to  an  outlet  from 
this  hell. 

On  foot  he  presses  forward,  through  this  fearful  avenue  of 
flame,  through  the  crackling  of  innumerable  burning  buildings, 
the  thunder  of  falling  masonry,  of  beams  crashing  from  the  roofs, 
and  molten  metal  pouring  from  the  gutters.  The  road  is  so 
covered  with  debris  of  all  kinds  that  it  is  most  difficult  to  force 
a  passage.  The  fires  which  destroyed  the  buildings  in  front  of 
which  he  had  to  pass  rose  upwards  on  both  sides  of  the  streets 
and  formed  above  his  head  a  veritable  arch  of  flame. 

In  this  desparate  situation,  where  haste  alone  could  ensure 
safety,  the  guide  came  to  a  stand.  He  had  lost  his  way.  Napo- 
leon's career  on  this  earth  would  have  ended  there  and  then  had 
it  not  been  that  some  marauders  of  the  First  Army  Corps  recog- 
nized their  Emperor,  hurried  up  to  his  aid,  and  led  him  out  to  an 
open  space  that  had  already  been  burnt  out.  He  now  involuntarily 
shuddered  at  the  recollection  of  these  awful  moments.  In  spite  of 
the  storm  which  had  burst  forth,  of  the  many  eyes  fixed  upon  him, 
waiting  for  his  commands,  he  could  not  shake  off  the  incubus 
of  this  recollection. 

Again  he  remembered  how,  early  the  next  morning,  he  had 
cast  a  glance  from  the  Petrowsky  Palace  in  the  direction  of  Mos- 
cow, and  had  had  to  acknowledge  to  himself  that  the  conflagra- 
tion was  ever  on  the  increase,  and  that  the  whole  city  seemed 
like  one  huge  devouring  pillar  of  flame  and  smoke. 

The  extraordinary  effort  to  obtain  possession  of  Moscow  had 
exhausted  all  his  resources.  Moscow  was  the  end  of  all  his  plans, 
the  goal  of  all  hopes  and  endeavours,  and  this  Moscow  was  now 
vanishing.     What  should  he  now  do? 

32 


VERESTCHAGIN    COLLECTION 

He  who  was  accustomed  to  explain  his  plans  only  so  far  as  to 
ensure  their  due  execution  was  now  driven  to  seek  advice.  Na- 
poleon proposed  to  march  on  St.  Petersburg.  The  Marshals 
argued  that  the  season  was  too  unfavourable,  the  roads  too  much 
cut  up,  that  provisions  were  unobtainable,  and  that,  therefore, 
such  a  campaign  was  not  to  be  thought  of.  Out-voted,  but  not 
convinced,  he  could  not  fix  on  any  definite  plan;  he  hesitated, 
and  suffered  tortures. 

He  had  so  confidently  hoped  for  peace  in  Moscow  that  he  had 
not  even  provided  for  proper  winter  quarters,  and  could  not  make 
up  his  mind  to  face  another  battle,  as  this  would  expose  the 
whole  line  of  operation,  now  strewn  with  wounded,  sick,  and 
stragglers,  and  blocked  up  by  carts.  The  main  point,  was  how- 
ever, that  he  could  not  renounce  the  hope  for  which  he  had 
sacrificed  so  much,  that  the  letter  which  he  had  addressed  to 
Alexander  would  be  successful.  That  letter  must  now  have 
passed  the  Russian  outposts,  and  within  the  week,  perhaps,  he 
would  receive  the  longed  for  answer  to  his  proposals  of  peace 
and  friendship.     Why  not? 

His  fame,  his  star  were  at  that  time  still  in  full  splendor,  why 
should  he  not  believe  in  the  possibility  of  a  favourable  issue ! 
At  that  time  he  had  stood  firm,  had  not  run  away  as  he  had  now 
to  do. 

Under  the  weight  of  these  remembrances  Napoleon 
remained  stupefied,  and  to  the  demands  of  the  Marshals, 
who  continued  to  await  his  orders,  he  replied  only  with 
a  discouraged  shaking  of  his  head.  He  passed  a  sleep- 
less night.  At  daylight  he  got  into  his  saddle  and  left 
for  Malo-Iaroslavetz  so  quickly  that  the  four  squadrons 
of  cavalry  which  constituted  his  habitual  escort,  ordered 
up  too  late,  were  not  ready.  Long  lines  of  ambulances, 
wagons  of  powder  and  ammunition  encumbered  the  way. 
Suddenly,  in  the  distance  on  the  left  of  the  road,  were 
discerned  several  groups,  then  a  compact  mass  of  cavalry. 
The  stragglers  and  women  who  follow  the  army  took 
fright  and  scattered  in  disorder,  howling  and  groaning 
in  a  great  panic.  It  was  the  Cossacks  of  Platoff.  They 
advanced  with  such  rapidity  that  the  Emperor,  not  un- 
derstanding at  once  what  it  meant,  halted.  General  Rapp 
had  but  time  to  seize  briskly  the  bridle  of  Napoleon's 
horse,  and  turning  quickly,  cried,  "  Save  yourself,  they 
are   here."      Napoleon   succeeded   in   escaping,   but   the 


VERESTCHAGIN    COLLECTION 

horse  of  Rapp  received  such  a  lance  stroke  that  he  fell 
with  the  General.  The  cavalry  escort  which  now  gal- 
loped up  saved  the  Emperor  and  his  suite,  and  the  Cos- 
sacks disappeared  as  quickly  as  they  came.  Intent  on 
plunder,  they  had  not  remarked  the  magnificent  prey 
they  had  allowed  to  escape.  The  brave  Rapp  related 
afterwards  that  Napoleon,  remarking  the  General's  horse 
bleeding,  asked  him  if  he  were  not  wounded.  Upon  his 
answering  that  he  was  only  bruised  by  the  fall.  Napoleon 
burst  into  loud  laughter.  The  general  added,  that  for 
his  part,  he  had  no  desire  to  do  likewise. 

The  battle-field  of  Malo-Iaroslavetz  was  horrible.  The 
city,  which  changed  masters  eleven  times,  had  disappeared 
from  the  face  of  the  earth.  The  streets  were  marked  by 
lines  of  bodies.  After  congratulating  the  Viceroy  on  his 
victory  and  being  assured  that  the  Russians  were  work- 
ing with  feverish  energy  to  fortify  their  position.  Napo- 
leon returned  to  the  hut  of  Gorodnia,  where  Murat,  the 
Prince  Eugene,  Berthier,  Davout  and  Bessieres  followed 
him.  Thus  in  that  small,  dark  and  dirty  room  an  Em- 
peror, two  Kings  and  several  Dukes  and  Marshals  met 
together  to  decide  as  to  the  fate  of  the  Grand  Armee,  and 
with  it  that  of  all  Europe.  On  a  bench  in  the  center  of  the 
only  room  was  seated  Murat,  the  marshals  stood  be- 
fore the  table,  on  which,  under  the  ikon.  Napoleon,  his 
head  hidden  in  his  hands,  endeavored  to  conceal  the  ter- 
rible anguish  and  indecision  betrayed  by  his  countenance. 
An  inkstand,  a  map  and  the  celebrated  plumed  hat  of 
Murat  were  on  the  table,  on  the  benches  a  portfolio  and 
rolls  of  maps,  on  the  floor  torn  envelopes  and  fragments 
of  reports.  Silence  reigned  in  the  room.  It  was  neces- 
sary to  get  out  of  a  position  which  had  become  critical, 
to  solve  a  complicated  problem !  How  to  reach  Smolensk 
and  by  what  route !  By  Kalouga  ?  There  untouched  re- 
gions would  be  crossed,  rich  and  well  provisioned,  but 
defended  at  all  points  by  the  Russian  army.  By  Mojaisk 
and  Viazma?  The  old  route  they  had  taken  in  coming, 
where  the  country  was  starved,  ravaged,  burned  and  in- 

84 


VERESTCHAGIN    COLLECTION 

fected.  The  silence  was  long.  Napoleon  for  a  long 
time  mentally  weighed  all  the  chances  of  success  in  one 
case  and  the  other,  but  he  could  not  succeed  in  making 
any  decision.  His  eyes  wandered  over  the  map  spread 
out  before  him,  or  fixed  themselves  again  and  again 
on  Malo-Iaroslavetz  and  Kalouga,  his  recollections  al- 
ways taking  him  to  Moscow,  to  the  neighborhood  of 
Alexander,  and  bringing  back  to  him  his  attempts  at 
peace.  He  thought  of  the  humiliations  which  these  at- 
tempts entailed,  of  his  letters  which  remained  unanswered. 
Smarting  under  these  insults,  he  again  proposed  to  his 
Marshals  to  burn  all  that  was  left  of  Moscow,  and  to 
march  on  St.  Petersburg.  He  endeavored  to  excite 
their  imagination  with  the  prospect  of  new  exploits. 
"  Think,"  he  said,  "  of  the  glory  that  will  cover  us,  and 
how  the  world  will  praise  us,  when  it  hears  that  in  three 
months  we  have  captured  the  two  capitals  of  the  North !  " 
But  they  again  urged  the  severity  of  the  weather,  and 
the  bad  state  of  the  roads.  "  Why  should  we  rush 
towards  a  winter  which  is  so  rapidly  approaching  ? " 
they  asked.  "  What  will  become  of  our  wounded  ?  We 
shall  have  to  leave  them  to  Kutusoff's  mercy,  and  he 
is  certain  to  follow  us.  We  shall  have  to  attack  and 
defend  ourselves  at  one  and  the  same  time,  conquer  and 
fly !  " 

These  discouraging  responses  influenced  him  to  at- 
tempt a  new  effort  with  Alexander,  and  to  try  once 
more  if  the  charm  that  he  had  in  bygone  times  so  power- 
fully exercised  upon  him  still  existed.  This  proved  but 
one  more  humiliation.  He  had  chosen  Caulaincourt, 
who  he  knew  was  favored  by  the  Czar,  but  whom  he 
had  neglected  on  account  of  his  constant  opposition  to 
the  whole  campaign.  Too  proud  to  acknowledge  his 
error  Napoleon  remained  silent  for  a  long  time  before 
his  chamberlain.  Then  he  spoke.  He  said  he  was  ready 
to  march  on  to  St.  Petersburg,  He  knew  that  the  ruin 
of  this  city  would  affect  Caulaincourt,  his  ancient  am- 
bassador, and  be  a  great  calamity.     He  wished  to  pre- 

86 


VERESTCHAGIN    COLLECTION 

vent  this,  and  inasmuch  as  he  had  a  high  opinion  of  his 
enemy,  the  Emperor  Alexander,  he  had  decided  to  send 
Caulaincourt  to  St.  Petersburg;  what  had  he  to  say- 
to  this? 

Caulaincourt  was  an  obstinate  man,  and  no  courtier, 
although  he  had  once  been  an  Ambassador,  and  he  openly 
declared  that  such  a  message  would  be  useless,  that 
Alexander  would  hear  nothing,  and  refuse  to  entertain 
the  idea  of  peace  until  every  Frenchman  had  left  the 
soil  of  Russia.  In  his  opinion,  Russia  knew  well,  es- 
pecially at  this  season,  the  strength  of  her  own  position 
and  the  weakness  of  the  enemy's.  Such  an  attempt 
would  do  more  harm  than  good,  as  it  would  acquaint 
Alexander  with  the  dangerous  situation  in  which  Napo- 
leon found  himself,  and  enable  him  to  guess  how  urgently 
the  Emperor  desired  peace.  Moreover,  Napoleon's  sol- 
icitude would  be  more  evident  the  higher  the  position 
of  the  person  sent  as  Ambassador.  He,  Caulaincourt, 
would  be  the  less  likely  to  obtain  his  object,  inasmuch 
as  he  would  arrive  at  St.  Petersburg  strong  in  this  con- 
viction. "  Enough,"  interrupted  Napoleon,  angrily,  "  I 
shall  send  Lauriston." 

But  Lauriston  was  equally  unwilling  to  undertake 
the  mission,  and  advised  that,  instead  of  negotiations, 
the  retreat  should  begin  without  delay.  The  Emperor 
was  obliged  to  insist,  and  at  last  explicitly  commanded 
Lauriston  to  undertake  the  negotiations.  He  rode  off 
with  a  letter  to  Kutusoff,  requesting  a  free  pass  to  St. 
Petersburg. 

Kutusoff  and  his  Generals  well  understood  how  to 
deceive  Lauriston  with  flatteries,  courtesies  and  an  ap- 
parent desire  for  a  speedy  conclusion  of  this  terrible 
campaign,  and  Napoleon  himself  was  so  greatly  misled 
by  this  duplicity  that  he  summoned  his  staff  and  made 
known  to  them  the  approach  of  peace. 

Had  Lauriston  overlooked  the  red  uniform  of  the 
Englishman,  Wilson,  behind  Kutusoff's  chair?  Why 
had  he  indulged  in  these  vain  boasts,  even  if  it  were 

86 


VERESTCHAGIN    COLLECTION 

only  to  those  most  intimate  with  him! 

Whilst  Napoleon  was  pondering  over  these  things, 
the  Marshals  were  whispering  to  one  another,  closely 
watching  the  Emperor,  but  not  daring  to  disturb  him. 
He  sat  bent  over  his  map,  still  invincible,  still  uncon- 
quered,  but  oppressed  with  the  most  intense  anxiety  for 
the  fate  of  his  army,  his  name,  his  dynasty  and  France. 

Napoleon  thought  of  his  melancholy  walks  through 
the  huge  cemetery,  for  the  Moscow  of  that  time  resem- 
bled nothing  so  closely  —  through  masses  of  plundered 
wealth,  the  masquerades  in  which  the  troops  had  in- 
dulged, subversive  of  all  discipline,  the  daily  exhibition 
of  rich  gifts,  which  seemed  to  terrify  rather  than  to  de- 
light the  recipients. 

He  remembered  the  sleepless  nights,  during  one  of 
which  he  disclosed  to  an  intimate  friend.  Count  Daru, 
the  inward  workings  of  his  mind,  and  acknowledged  to 
him  openly  the  difficulty  of  his  position.  He  still  pos- 
sessed sufficient  clearness  of  mind  to  recognize  the  true 
state  of  affairs  after  the  return  of  Lauriston. 

Napoleon  acknowledged  that  in  this  savage  country 
he  had  not  conquered  one  single  man,  and  could  only 
call  his  own  that  piece  of  earth  on  which  at  that  moment 
he  stood,  that  he  simply  felt  himself  absorbed  by  the 
huge,  immeasurable  territory  of  Russia.  He  admitted 
that  he  only  hesitated  to  retreat  because  he  could  not 
bring  himself  to  admit,  in  the  eyes  of  Europe,  that  he 
was  fleeing  from  Russia  —  he  shrank  from  dealing  the 
first  blow  to  his  supposed  invincibility. 

It  was  now  evident  to  him  that  here,  as  in  Spain, 
the  guiding  principle  of  his  policy,  never  to  withdraw, 
never  openly  to  acknowledge  a  mistake,  however  great 
it  might  be,  but  to  march  steadily  onward,  was  no  longer 
applicable. 

He  well  understood  that  he  could  not  depend  on  Prus- 
sia, and  that  nothing  could  be  done  with  Austria.  He 
furthermore  saw  that  Kutusoff  had  overreached  him,  but 
still  he  hesitated.     It  appeared,  in  fact,  equally  impossible 

37 


VERESTCHAGIN    COLLECTION 

for  him  to  halt  or  to  retreat,  to  advance  or  to  risk  a  battle 
with  any  prospect  of  victory. 

During  this  period  of  vacillation  and  doubt  he  was  at 
great  pains  to  persuade  himself  and  others  that  matters 
were  not  so  bad  as  they  appeared  to  be.  The  loss  of 
Moscow,  he  argued,  "  was  indeed  a  misfortune,  but  it 
had  also  its  good  side,  for  if  the  city  had  not  been 
deserted  it  would  have  been  difficult  to  maintain  order 
among  its  300,000  fanatical  inhabitants,  and,  at  the  same 
time,  to  sleep  quietly  in  the  Kremlin.  It  was  true  that 
nothing  now  remained  of  Moscow  except  ruins.  Still, 
one  could  at  least  occupy  them  in  peace.  Again,  although 
millions  in  "  contributions  "  were  lost,  how  many  thou- 
sand millions  was  Russia  losing.  Her  commerce  had 
been  destroyed  for  a  century  at  least,  and  the  develop- 
ment of  the  nation  retarded  for  at  least  fifty  years  — 
that  was  no  mean  result!  When  the  excitement  of  the 
Russians  was  at  an  end,  and  the  hour  for  deliberation 
struck,  then  would  they  be  terrified.  The  blow  would 
undoubtedly  shake  the  throne  of  Alexander,  and  compel 
him  to  sue  for  peace. 

The  check  of  Murat  at  Taroutina,  the  abandonment 
of  the  ruins  of  Moscow,  the  insoluble  situation  at  Malo- 
laroslavetz  finally  determined  Napoleon  to  cease  all  ter- 
giversation. Retreat  was  imperative.  The  first  to  break 
the  silence  was  Murat,  he  showed  signs  of  impatience. 
"  I  may  be  accused  of  recklessness,"  he  said,  "  but  we 
cannot  remain  in  one  spot,  and  as  it  is  dangerous  to  go 
back,  let  us  attack.  What  does  it  matter  if  the  Russians 
are  behind  their  fortresses.  Give  me  what  is  left  of  the 
cavalry  and  I  will  force  a  passage  to  Kalouga."  Napo- 
leon quenched  this  ardor,  saying  that  enough  had  been 
done  for  glory,  and  it  was  necessary  to  think  of  saving 
the  army.  Bessieres  said  that  the  tired  remnants  of  the 
cavalry  had  not  enough  spirit  and  was  incapable  of  the 
effort  that  the  King  of  Naples  demanded  of  it.  It  was 
only  necessary  to  survey  the  battlefield  of  the  day  before 
to  be  convinced  of  the  courage  of  the  Russians  and  to 

38 


VERESTCHAGIN    COLLECTION 

see  that  the  new  recruits  knew  how  to  fight  and  die. 
Bessieres  concluded  his  speech  with  advice  to  retreat, 
and  the  Emperor,  judging  from  his  silence,  was  not  far 
from  assent,  when  Davout  remarked  that  if  they  decided 
on  retreating  they  would  have  to  march  towards  Smo- 
lensk by  the  Medyne.  Either  from  wounded  self-love 
or  because  of  his  hatred  for  Davout,  Murat  shouted  that 
the  Marshal  wished  to  take  the  army  to  its  destruction, 
harassed  as  it  would  be  on  its  flanks  by  Kutusoff. 
"  Will  you,  Davout,  undertake  to  defend  it  ?  Have  we 
not  the  straight  line  to  Borowsk  and  to  Mojaisk  to  beat 
a  retreat  upon,  with  provisions  awaiting  us  ?  "  "  My 
way  is  sure  and  much  shorter,"  howled  Davout,  "  the 
soldiers  would  find  themselves  in  villages  which  are  in- 
tact and  will  furnish  living  and  shelter  from  the  cold. 
On  your  route,  Murat,  there  is  sand  or  the  cinders  of 
destroyed  places,  and  for  the  comfort  of  the  soldiers, 
epidemic  and  hunger !  if  the  Emperor  wishes  advice,  here 
it  is!  You  cannot  compel  me  to  keep  silence  although 
you  are  a  King.  You  are  not  my  King,  and  you  never 
will  be."  Berthier  and  Bessieres  separated  in  time  the 
two  chiefs.  During  this  dispute  the  Emperor  remained 
seated  and  motionless,  bending  over  his  map  apparently 
heedless  of  the  quarrel.  At  last  he  raised  his  head  and 
said  to  his  companions  in  arms,  "  Well,  gentlemen,  I  will 
give  the  order." 


17 

Resting  by  Night 

H.  42  in.,  W.  60  in. 

The  frightful  winter  which  had  let  itself  loose,  surprised 
the  French  army.  Embarrassed  by  the  immense  booty, 
and  laden  with  precious  things,  they  had  no  warm  cloth- 
ing, and  the  cold  proved  to  them  that  they  were  not 
masters  of  that  country.     The  order  of  Napoleon  to  burn 


VERESTCHAGIN   COLLECTION 

everything  on  their  way,  as  a  pretence  of  punishing  the 
Russians,  struck  first  his  own  army.  The  order  being 
executed  by  the  advance  guard  instead  of  the  rear,  it 
deprived  the  unhappy  soldiers  of  all  hope  of  warming 
themselves  from  time  to  time,  and  obliged  them  to  pass 
the  nights  sleeping  in  the  open  air.  Those  who  suc- 
ceeded in  lighting  fires  stayed  for  hours  together  seated 
around  them,  not  noticing  that  they  were  burning  their 
clothes,  while  their  frost-bitten  limbs  were  slowly  freez- 
ing. Some  of  them  got  right  into  the  fire  and  there 
perished.  The  nights  of  snow  and  tempest  were  espec- 
ially terrible.  In  crowded  ranks,  enveloped  in  rags  and 
tatters,  the  soldiers  uttered  prolonged  groans  that  seemed 
to  rise  above  the  raging  of  the  tempest.  Soldiers,  of- 
ficers, generals,  mixed  together,  cried  for  their  native 
land,  for  their  mothers,  for  their  brothers,  and  covered 
with  imprecations  the  names  of  Alexander  and  Napoleon. 


i8 
Napoleon  in  the  Frost 

H.  30>4  in.,  W.  23>^  in. 

"  Napoleon  was  clothed  in  a  Polish  dress,  consisting 
of  a  cap  trimmed  with  sable  and  a  green  coat  edged  with 
the  same  fur,  with  gold  frogs,  and  warm  top  boots.  .  .  . 
Napoleon  was  on  foot,  .  .  .  He  was  dressed  in  the 
above-mentioned  costume,  and  had  in  his  hands  a  birchen 
staff."  —  Chambray. 


19 
Revenge  —  Hurrah ! 

H.  56  in.,  W.  6o>4  in. 

Napoleon  left  Smolensk,  and  Prince  Kutusoff  left 
Stschelkanow  to  march  towards  Krasnoje  on  one  and  the 
same  day. 

40 


VERESTCHAGIN    COLLECTION 

Thither  hastened  also  on  the  enemy's  side  the  Corps 
commanded  by  Junot,  the  artillery  of  the  Guard,  the  parks 
of  artillery,  the  Cavalry  and  the  Guides.  The  Polish 
Corps  covered  the  left  flank. 

Then  came  the  French  from  Smolensk  —  first  the 
Viceroy,  then  Davout,  and  at  last  Ney,  all  at  a  distance 
of  a  day's  march  from  one  another. 

Ney  received  the  command  of  the  rear-guard  after 
Davout  had  been  declared  too  pedantic  and  slow.  He 
was  ordered  to  put  the  sick  and  wounded  out  of  their 
misery,  to  burn  anything  that  could  not  be  carried  away, 
to  blow  up  all  walls  and  towns,  for  Napoleon  said  that 
"  in  his  next  campaign  he  did  not  wish  to  be  stopped  by 
these  obstacles." 

Prince  Kutusoff  communicated  the  movements  of  the 
arn^y  to  Tschitschagow,  and  added  that  for  the  future  he 
would  follow  up  Napoleon's  left  flank.  "  By  so  doing 
I  shall  keep  up  my  connection  with  the  fertile  provinces, 
a  safe  communication  with  you,  and  when  the  enemy 
does  not  see  me  near  him  he  will  not  dare  to  halt  for 
fear  lest  I  shall  surround  him."  Miloradowitsch  received 
instructions  to  occupy  the  road  to  Krasnoje,  and  to  en- 
deavor to  cut  off  the  retreat  of  the  enemy  into  the  town. 
He  was  to  be  careful  not  to  drive  the  French  to  despair, 
but  let  them  retreat,  and,  as  far  as  possible,  only  skir- 
mish with  the  flank  or  rear-guards. 

At  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  on  November  3d, 
Miloradowitsch  approached  the  high  road  and  saw  the 
French  Guard,  led  by  Napoleon.  The  Emperor  was 
taken  aback  by  the  appearance  of  the  Russians,  as  he 
had  not  thought  it  possible  that  they  could  head  him, 
and  he  believed  himself  to  be  followed  only  by  Cossacks. 

The  eldest  son  of  Starost  Semen  was  serving  in  a 
regiment  of  the  Guards.  Semen  had  the  right  to  exempt 
his  sons  from  military  service,  but  as  he  did  not  wish  to 
be  less  patriotic  than  the  nobility,  who,  without  excep- 
tion, hurried  off  to  the  war,  he  caused  his  eldest  son  to 
be  enrolled.     The  second  lived  in  the  wood,  where,  with 

41 


VERESTCHAGIN    COLLECTION 

the  women,  he  looked  after  the  property  that  had  been 
saved  and  stored  in  quickly  -  constructed  earthen  huts. 
The  youngest  son  had  joined  the  Starost  in  tracking 
down  the  enemy. 

The  son  knew  nothing  of  the  misfortunes  that  had 
overtaken  the  old  man,  but  he  had  heard  that  the  latter 
was  seriously  engaging,  not  only  marauders  and  strag- 
glers, but  small  parties  of  foragers.  As  he  was  now  in 
the  neighborhood  of  his  home,  he  hoped  to  meet,  if  not 
his  father,  at  least  some  of  the  family. 

The  apparent  want  of  resolution  on  the  part  of  their 
leader,  Kutusoff,  was  totally  incomprehensible  to  the 
Russian  rank  and  file.  The  soldiers  related  how  "  He  " 
—  that  was  the  Field-Marshal  —  had  given  orders  not  to 
press  too  closely  upon  the  retreating  foe,  and  not  to  pro- 
voke a  desperate  defence  on  the  part  of  men  driven  to 
bay.  "  Pity !  "  They  were  all  longing  for  the  end  of 
the  war,  they  could  not  be  worse  off  in  the  next  world 
than  they  were  now  during  this  winter  campaign.  Mi- 
loradowitsch's  men  suffered  exceptionally  severely,  and 
had  to  endure  cold,  hunger,  and  fatigue.  Whilst  the 
main  army  moved  comparatively  slowly,  with  intervals 
of  rest,  they  knew  absolutely  no  cessation  of  their  daily 
change  of  position.  The  foragers  brought  in  very  little, 
horses  and  men  marched  with  the  greatest  difficulty,  and 
the  losses  were  enormous.  The  soldiers  slept  in  the  open, 
and  in  warming  themselves  set  fire  to  their  own  clothes. 
On  days  when  provisions  were  scarce  Miloradowitsch 
used  to  say,  "  The  less  bread,  the  more  fame."  That 
was  not,  however,  the  prevalent  sentiment.  The  hope  of 
cutting  off  the  enemy's  army,  and  capturing  it,  together 
with  Napoleon,  was  common  to  both  officers  and  men. 
It  was  not  known  with  which  of  the  regiments  the  Em- 
peror of  the  French  would  be  found,  and,  although  the 
advance  guard  marched  into  Krasnoje  in  view  of  them 
all,  they  still  hoped  to  capture  the  corps  that  followed, 
and  awaited  them  with  the  greatest  impatience. 

42 


VERESTCHAGIN    COLLECTION 

During  the  whole  of  the  following  morning  not  a 
single  Frenchman  was  to  be  seen  on  the  Smolensk  road. 
About  three  o'clock  the  Cossacks  reported  that  the  Vice- 
roy was  coming  from  Rjawka  in  heavy  columns. 

Miloradowitsch  drew  up  a  corps  of  Infantry  and  an- 
other of  Cavalry  across  the  line  of  march,  and  parallel 
with  the  road  he  placed  Rajewski,  who  at  that  time  com- 
manded only  a  division. 

When  the  Viceroy  saw  himself  cut  off  from  Krasnoje 
he  drew  up  his  corps  in  line  of  battle.  It  was  accom- 
panied by  masses  of  unarmed  soldiers,  cavalrymen  with- 
out horses,  artillerymen  without  guns.  The  Artillery  had 
lagged  behind,  and  been  attacked  near  the  River  Wopp  by 
the  Cossacks,  so  that,  altogether,  only  about  seventeen 
guns  at  that  time  were  available. 

The  battle  was  unequal,  and  did  not  last  long.  The 
French  were  driven  out  of  all  their  positions,  and  only  a 
few,  with  the  Viceroy  at  their  head,  managed  to  escape 
into  Krasnoje.  The  Grenadiers  with  shouldered  mus- 
kets came  out  of  the  wood  in  which  they  were  concealed, 
shouting  "  Hurrah !  "  Dragging  their  feet  with  difficulty 
through  the  snow,  they  attacked  the  enemy  with  so  much 
determination  that  the  great  column  laid  down  its  arms 
and  surrendered. 

Nevertheless,  the  action  was  not  completely  finished  on 
that  day,  and  a  yet  fiercer  struggle  was  expected  to  take 
place  on  November  5th. 

Napoleon  then  marched  out  of  Krasnoje  to  join  Da- 
vout,  who  was  to  come  from  Smolensk.  He  walked  at 
the  head  of  the  Old  Guard,  in  his  fur  cloak  lined  with 
sable,  his  sable  cap,  and  lined  boots,  carrying  his  birch 
stick  in  his  hand.  He  was  going  back  deeper  into 
Russia,  and  on  a  remark  being  made  regarding  the  danger 
to  which  he  exposed  himself  with  so  weak  a  force,  op- 
posed by  the  Russian  army,  he  replied :  "  I  have  played 
at  being  Emperor  long  enough,  it  is  time  for  me  to  be 
General  once  more !  " 

48 


VERESTCHAGIN    COLLECTION 

Recognizing  that  Davout  could  not  join  him  without 
great  loss  while  the  Russians  held  the  road,  he  determ- 
ined to  attack  the  main  army,  in  the  hope  that  the  cau- 
tious Kutusoff  would  have  recalled  Miloradowitsch,  thus 
giving  the  First  Corps  a  chance  of  forcing  its  way 
through.  This  almost  turned  out  to  be  the  case.  Milo- 
radowitsch was  compelled  nolens  volens  to  let  the  main 
portion  of  the  Marshal's  detachment  pass  through  and 
join  Napoleon.  He  attacked  only  the  rear  guard,  tak- 
ing about  seven  thousand  men  prisoners,  together  with 
twenty-eight  guns. 

Prince  Kutusoff,  who  showed  so  much  prudence  — 
many  called  it  cowardice  —  was  true  to  his  policy.  After 
he  had  personally  inspected  the  position  of  the  French 
before  Krasnoje,  and  had  firmly  convinced  himself  that 
Napoleon  was  in  command,  he  confirmed  the  orders  al- 
ready given,  not  to  drive  the  enemy  to  bay,  as  in  that 
case  the  Russian  losses  might  be  very  heavy.  He  held 
to  the  opinion  that  the  whole  army  must  be  compelled 
to  leave  the  country,  and  not  a  remnant,  that  there  was 
no  object  to  be  gained  by  incurring  a  great  loss  of  life. 
The  enemy's  army,  he  thought,  must  of  necessity  be 
destroyed  through  cold,  hunger,  and  the  other  hardships 
attendant  upon  a  winter  campaign,  and  when  crossing 
the  Beresina  under  the  Russian  guns  would  be  obliged 
to  lay  down  their  arms. 

Being  on  the  left  of  his  company,  Semen's  son  had 
often  to  charge  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet.  He  was  often 
under  a  heavy  artillery  fire,  and  met  death  face  to  face. 

He  saw  many  awful  sights :  the  whole  country  strewn 
with  dead  and  dying,  ammunition  cases,  hospital  carts, 
guns,  muskets,  pistols,  drums,  breastplates,  ramrods,  bay- 
onets, swords,  carriages  and  phaetons  from  Moscow  (the 
last-named  being  especial  favorites  with  the  French)  lay 
heaped  together,  besides  horses  with  bowels  protruding 
and  abdomens  gaping,  into  which  the  enemy  crept  for 
warmth.  The  French  wrapped  themselves  up  in  priest's 
vestments  or  women's  clothes  to  guard  against  the  cold, 

44 


VERESTCHAGIN    COLLECTION 

fastened  straw  round  their  legs  and  covered  their  heads 
with  women's  caps,  Jews'  hats,  or  woven  cane. 

However  greatly  the  Russians  may  have  suffered,  their 
condition  was  not  to  be  compared  with  that  of  the  enemy. 
It  is  sufficient  to  mention  that  the  French  ate  those  of 
their  compatriots  who  succumbed  through  hunger,  roast- 
ing them  at  the  bivouac  fires. 

The  Russian  Generals  insisted  in  their  orders  on  char- 
ity and  brotherly  love.  The  soldiers,  indeed,  could  not 
fail  to  be  moved  to  compassion  toward  the  victims  of  such 
terrible  misfortunes.  Many  a  time  did  they  succor  the 
starving  French,  moving  about  like  mere  ghosts,  by  feed- 
ing and  warming  them. 

Soon,  however,  Ivan's  feelings  received  a  terrible 
shock;  in  the  snow,  near  the  road,  his  company  found 
the  bodies  of  three  peasants  who  had  been  shot.  One  of 
the  bodies  was  that  of  an  old  man.  A  single  glance  was 
sufficient  —  he  recognized  his  father  and  two  of  the  vil- 
lagers. They  lay  there,  buried  in  the  snow,  with  wounds 
in  their  breasts  and  in  their  heads.  There  was  no  time 
for  mourning,  a  grave  was  quickly  dug  and  the  three 
victims  were  buried.  From  that  time  forward  Ivan  had 
less  compassion  for  the  enemy,  and  on  the  following  day, 
when  about  to  attack  Ney's  column,  Miloradowitsch  gal- 
loped up  to  his  men,  and  said :  "  There  are  the  French,  I 
make  you  a  present  of  them !  "  he  and  his  companions 
waded  through  the  deep  snow,  threw  themselves  on  the 
enemy,  and  terribly  avenged  the  death  of  his  father. 

When,  later,  he  returned  to  his  village,  he  related  how 
he  had  found  the  "  old  man  "  and  his  companions,  with 
bullet  holes  in  their  breasts  and  heads,  gnawed  by  dogs. 
The  whole  village  celebrated  Mass  for  the  dead,  the 
musket  of  the  slain  Starost  being  hung  up  in  the  church. 
Either  the  musket  was  of  no  value  in  the  eyes  of  the 
French,  or  they  had  forgotten  it ;  in  any  case,  it  was  found 
in  the  spot  where  the  execution  took  place,  and  for  many 
a  day  was  an  object  of  great  interest,  not  only  to  the  peas- 
ants, but  to  the  magistrates,  who  looked  upon  it  as  a 

45 


VERESTCHAGIN    COLLECTION 

monument  of  the  deeds  of  valour  performed  by  the  mur- 
dered Mayor. 

The  martyrdom  of  Semen  and  his  heroic  deeds  gave 
rise  to  many  legendary  stories.  There  were  even  eye- 
witnesses who  related  how  the  Starost  had  slain  a  large 
number  of  Frenchmen  before  being  overpowered,  and  his 
grandchildren  did  not  hesitate  to  relate  that  the  old  hero 
had  not  had  time  "  to  load  and  pull  the  trigger " ;  the 
number  of  those  whom  he  killed  it  was  impossible  to 
estimate. 


20 

In  the  Ouspensky  Cathedral 
H.  42}i  in,,  W.  51  in. 

All  contemporaries  agree  in  stating  that  the  churches 
on  the  line  of  march  of  the  Grande  Armee  were  used  as 
stables.  On  the  portico  of  the  cathedral  of  Malo-Iarosla- 
vetz  one  could  read  written  in  charcoal,  "  Stable  of  the 
General  Guilleminot." 

"  The  Churches,"  says  Labaume,  "  which  as  buildings 
suffered  least  through  the  conflagration,  were  used  as 
barracks  or  stables.  The  neighing  of  horses  and  the  hor- 
rible blasphemies  of  the  troops  took  the  place  of  the 
sacred  hymns  whose  melody  had  once  echoed  through 
these  holy  aisles." 

Rene  Bourgeois  briefly  remarks  that  the  cavalry  took 
all  the  churches  that  were  spared  by  the  fire.  According 
to  the  author  of  The  Journal  of  the  War,  the  rich  churches 
of  Viazma  were  all  devastated  and  pillaged.  Against 
the  exterior  walls  of  the  Cathedral  of  the  Assumption, 
in  the  enclosure  of  the  Kremlin,  were  established  forges, 
on  which  the  French  melted  gold  and  silver  attached  to 
the  sacred  statues  or  stolen  from  the  church.  The  figures 
of  the  results  of  these  depredations  were  found  inscribed 
in  chalk  in  the  emperor's  stall,  365  pouds  of  silver  and 
18  pouds  of  gold  (a  poud  equals  35  pounds). 

46 


VERESTCHAGIN    COLLECTION 

Behind  the  altar  of  the  Cathedral  of  I'Archangelsk, 
also  at  the  Kremlin,  a  church  consecrated  by  the  tombs 
of  the  Czars,  a  French  cantaniere  had  established  her 
living  room.  She  cooked  near  the  window,  dressed  in 
a  rich  chasuble.  Everywhere  were  piled  up  sacks  of  hay, 
corn,  potatoes  and  barrels  of  salted  provisions,  which 
made  the  nave  a  vast  store  house. 

"  Everything  in  the  Cathedral,"  says  Prince  Schac- 
howski,  who  was  among  the  first  to  return  to  Moscow 
after  its  evacuation,  "  had  been  destroyed  or  stolen.  The 
Rakha  of  the  Holy  Metropolitan  Philip  was  not  to  be 
found;  we  gathered  together  the  remains  of  his  relics 
and  laid  them  on  a  small  bare  side-altar." 

The  coffin  covering  the  remains  of  the  Metropolitan 
Peter  was  completely  broken  up,  the  lid  torn  asunder, 
and  the  grave  dug  up.  In  the  Cathedral,  from  the  cupola 
downwards,  with  the  exception  of  the  Rakha  of  Saint 
Jonas,  not  a  single  piece  of  metal,  not  a  vestment  was 
left  behind.  The  wooden  monuments  of  the  coffins  of 
the  Archpriests  of  Moscow  were  stripped,  but  only  one 
of  them  was  cut  up,  namely,  that  of  the  Patriarch  Herm- 
ogen. 

Prince  Schachowski  believes  that  the  insults  shown  to 
the  memory  of  the  great  patriot  of  the  popular  move- 
ment of  1612  prove  their  perpetration  by  the  Poles. 

"  On  arriving  at  Moscow,"  says  an  eye  witness,  "  I 
found  that  after  the  departure  of  the  French,  the  relics 
of  the  saints  were  found  removed  from  their  settings 
and  dispersed,  and  many  of  the  holy  martyrs  had  limbs 
pulled  off;  that  the  head  of  Tzarevitch  Dmitry  was  cut 
off,  and  the  remains  of  the  Metropolitan  Alexis  had  com- 
pletely disappeared."  The  altars  everywhere  had  been 
upset  to  be  transformed  into  tables.  The  ikons  served 
them  for  targets  and  wood  for  burning.  Church  vest- 
ments were  seen  everywhere  on  the  backs  of  the  soldiers. 
The  Monastery  Tchoudow  and  the  Cathedral  of  the  An- 
nunciation were  not  spared  any  more  than  the  Assump- 
tion, where  the  Czars   were  crowned,   and   where   the 

47 


VERESTCHAGIN    COLLECTION 

soldiers,  it  is  said,  in  the  presence  of  Napoleon,  had  not 
only  taken  off  the  ornaments  from  the  large  ikons  of 
the  saints,  but  destroyed  them  and  left  nothing  but 
empty  spaces.  Vases  of  gold  and  silver,  jewels  and 
objects  of  art  that  the  clergy  had  been  imprudent  enough 
to  leave  in  the  cathedral,  the  ecclesiastics  beheld  pillaged 
under  their  eyes.  Among  other  things  that  disappeared 
was  the  celebrated  candle-sticks,  in  silver,  given  by  Boy- 
ard  Morosow  during  the  reign  of  Alexis  Michailovitch, 
which  was  marvelous  in  its  execution.  Everything,  even 
to  the  evangels  and  the  church  books  were  burned  in 
order  to  separate  from  them  the  precious  metals. 

In  the  choir  of  the  Cathedral  of  Kazan,  a  dead  horse 
was  deposited  in  the  place  of  the  destroyed  tabernacle. 
Antique  furniture,  broken  utensils,  the  remains  of  the 
pillaging  of  the  Muscovite  palaces,  were  spread  about 
in  the  most  of  the  churches.  Even  the  manikins  and  lay 
figures  from  the  Museum  of  Armor  were  found  grouped 
as  a  sign  of  mockery  in  derisive  attitudes. 

Napoleon,  wishing  to  see  the  archepiscopal  Russian 
service  compelled  a  priest  of  inferior  rank  to  hold  a 
service  in  Ouspensky-Sobor ;  for  this  he  presented  him 
with  a  "  Kamilawka,"  or  cap,  worn  by  the  secular  priest- 
hood. He  ordered  the  big  cross  taken  down  from  the 
tower  of  Ivan  le  Grand,  about  six  metres  high  and  plated 
with  silvergilt,  as  he  wished  to  put  it  on  the  dome  of  the 
Invalides  in  Paris,  but  in  the  desperation  of  the  retreat, 
this  cross  was  thrown,  according  to  some  into  Lake  Sem- 
lewo,  according  to  others,  it  went  near  to  Wilna,  whence 
it  was  returned  to  Moscow,  and  restored  to  its  place. 
Into  this  lake  they  threw  so  much  booty  from  the  pillage 
of  Moscow,  that  it  would  be  interesting  to  know  if  any 
search  has  been  made  at  any  time  in  the  waters  along 
the  route. 


48 


VERESTCHAGIN    COLLECTION 
21 

The  Partisans:  Let  them  come 

H.  56  in.,  W.  6oy2  in. 

Simon  Archipovitch  in  18 12  was  starost  (mayor)  in 
a  village  of  the  government  of  Smolensk  in  the  district 
of  Krasnoie,  about  forty  verstes  (7  miles)  from  the  high- 
road. On  their  march  towards  Moscow,  the  men  and  the 
horses  of  the  Grande  Armee  found  in  the  villages  and 
fields  along  the  route  what  was  necessary  for  their  sub- 
sistance,  so  that  the  foraging  parties  did  not  make  their 
way  far  into  the  interior.  The  mayor,  Simon,  had  already 
hidden  in  the  forest  all  that  he  had,  with  the  determina- 
tion to  take  refuge  there  with  the  peasants,  but  seeing 
no  one  and  regaining  courage  he  returned  to  his  home 
with  all  his  family.  But  soon  marauding  parties  appeared 
demanding  bread,  milk,  etc.,  and  showed  a  very  cruel 
spirit  to  all  the  peasants  who  fell  into  their  hands.  The 
mayor  and  his  fellow  villagers  longed  to  retaliate  but 
they  refrained,  not  wishing  the  ill-will  of  the  French, 
who  had  spread  the  rumor  of  the  speedy  and  complete 
occupation  of  Smolensk  and  its  government,  which  hence- 
forth would  not  belong  to  Russia,  and  of  the  complete 
emancipation  of  the  serfs  in  that  part  of  the  empire. 
The  reports  excited  such  an  agitation  in  the  minds  of  the 
peasants  that  there  were  men  who  were  ready  to  help 
the  march  of  the  invader  by  bringing  back  all  that  they 
had  hidden  in  the  form  of  provisions,  forage,  etc.,  and 
in  some  districts  the  peasants  were  seen  trespassing  on 
the  domains  of  their  landlords  and  plundering  their 
houses.  It  was  said  that  the  Bishop  of  Moguileff  and 
his  clergy  had  ordered  public  prayers  in  the  churches 
in  which  the  name  of  the  Emperor  Napoleon  was  sub- 
stituted for  that  of  Czar  Alexander.  The  trouble  became 
so  serious  that  in  some  districts  the  enemies  were  given 
a  hospitable  reception  and  the  soldiers  were  presented 
with  bread  and  salt.    Among  the  peasants  discontent  was 

49 


VERESTCHAGIN   COLLECTION 

widespread,  and  Simon  remarked  that  the  more  the 
French  advanced  the  more  the  revolt  gained  ground 
and  the  more  often  appeared,  though  still  a  little  timid, 
the  reprisals  against  the  land  owners  and  their  stewards. 
Even  his  own  orders  were  unwillingly  obeyed.  From  all 
sides,  however,  irritating  news  was  brought.  The  French 
were  carrying  off  everything  they  could  lay  their  hands 
on.  They  encamped  in  the  fields,  trampled  down  the 
newly  sown  seed  and  treated  the  inhabitants  in  the  most 
cruel  manner.  The  women  and  young  girls  were  pursued, 
outraged,  and  even  assassinated.  Men  and  children  met 
the  same  fate.  It  was  said  that  the  churches  were  turned 
into  barracks,  powder  magazines,  stables  and  slaughter 
houses,  and  that  the  silver  settings  were  torn  off  the 
pictures  of  the  saints  and  the  holy  images  were  thrown 
into  the  streets,  where  they  served  as  firewood,  while  the 
altars  were  turned  into  tables  and  benches.  The  invaders 
desecrated  everything,  the  sacred  vessels  and  the  church 
vestments,  profanations  horrible  and  impious  in  the  high- 
est degree  in  the  public  mind. 

It  was  impossible  to  disbelieve  the  news,  and  it  provoked 
terrible  excitement  among  the  peasants,  destroying  the 
influence  of  those  who  had  urged  patience,  under  the 
belief  that  Napoleon  would  free  them.  A  peasant  who 
escaped  from  Moscow  related  that  want  of  discipline 
was  so  prevalent  in  the  French  army  that  the  superior 
officers  had  lost  all  authority.  The  troops  drank,  plun- 
dered and  killed.  In  the  Kremlin,  on  the  altar  of  the 
Archangelski  Cathedral,  they  erected  a  kitchen.  Horses 
were  stationed  in  the  Upenski  Cathedral.  The  insults 
and  desecration  were  indescribable.  Two  priests  were 
killed  in  the  Andronjef  Monastery.  The  peasant  him- 
self saw  a  target  placed  upon  the  Red  Gate  composed 
entirely  of  pictures  of  Saints.  The  vestments  of  a  priest 
and  the  chaplet  of  a  bride  had  been  taken  out  of  the 
Voznessenki  Monastery  and  put  upon  a  tame  bear,  which 
had  been  made  to  dance.  The  inhabitants  had  been  tor- 
tured in  every  imaginable  way,  and  many  had  seen  the 

60 


VERESTCHAGIN    COLLECTION 

Princes  Wolkonski,  Lopuchin,  and  Galizyn,  laden  with 
sacks,  and  driven  along  by  the  French  with  shouts  of 
"  Alio !  "  "  Alio !  "  {Allans!  Allans!)  On  his  way  from 
Moscow  he  had  heard  that  the  people  were  seeking 
now  to  avenge  themselves ;  that  large  parties  of  peasants 
had  flocked  to  the  battlefield  of  Borodino  to  pick  up 
muskets,  swords,  and  all  kinds  of  weapons  for  despatch- 
ing the  French,  whom  they  might  chance  to  meet  on  the 
roads,  in  the  woods,  or  villages. 

Simon  summoned  his  council  under  the  authority  of 
the  priest,  and  it  was  determined  to  ask  the  superior 
authorities  if  the  murder  of  a  Frenchman  would  be  pun- 
ished by  the  Czar;  if  not,  they  would  come  together  and 
with  the  assistance  of  God  defend  their  villages.  The 
arrival  of  an  officer  of  Figner's  Cossacks,  come  from  a 
reconnaissance  with  some  men  in  the  neighborhood  of 
Moscow,  put  an  end  to  all  hesitation.  He  told  the  peas- 
ants not  only  would  the  murder  of  a  Frenchman  not  be 
regarded  as  a  crime,  but  it  would  be  credited  on  the 
contrary  as  a  laudable  service.  He  announced,  moreover, 
that  Napoleon  had  very  little  time  longer  in  Moscow,  as 
Kutusoff  held  him  there  as  in  a  trap.  A  corps  of  volun- 
teers was  soon  formed,  Simon  being  given  command. 
At  first  there  was  some  difficulty  with  the  young  men, 
who  refused  to  accept  so  old  a  chief  under  the  belief  that 
he  would  not  act  with  enough  firmness  and  audacity,  but 
order  was  restored  spontaneously  and  promptly  when 
they  perceived  that  this  so-called  lack  of  audacity  was 
only  good  tactics. 

When  Simon  found  himself  in  the  presence  of  a 
superior  troop  he  never  risked  his  men.  He  tried  to  get 
in  touch  with  some  other  detachment  or  with  the  Cos- 
sacks, but  if  the  affair  gave  some  promise  of  success  the 
mayor  knew  how  to  exhibit  the  necessary  energy  and 
determination.  Having  surprised,  in  a  village  near  his 
own,  a  detachment  which,  after  having  shot  some  of  the 
peasants  on  the  porch  of  the  church,  were  resting  unsus- 
piciously in  a  hut,  he  had  the  hut  silently  sealed  up  by 

51 


VERESTCHAGIN    COLLECTION 

his  men,  then  the  exits  barricaded  and  fagots  brought, 
he  set  fire  to  the  house  and  burnt  the  marauders  alive. 
Simon  was  not  naturally  cruel.  Among  the  bodies  of 
partisans  of  the  neighborhood  we  are  told  of  chiefs  who, 
not  satisfied  with  the  different  punishments  already- 
known  which  they  could  inflict  on  their  prisoners,  in- 
vented new  ways  of  making  them  suffer  and  die,  the 
others  appearing  to  them  too  gentle  in  comparison  with 
the  crimes  of  the  invading  horde.  It  is  said  that  the 
chief  of  the  Cossacks,  Figner,  often  put  the  French  pris- 
oners in  line  and  shot  them  through  the  head  one  by  one. 
This  mutual  ferocity  was  terrible  and  went  so  far  that 
some  of  the  French  being  attacked  and  resuming  the 
offensive,  soaked  in  oil  the  partisans  they  were  able  to 
capture  and  warmed  themselves  at  this  new  kind  of  bon- 
fire; on  other  occasions  they  skinned  alive  the  peasants 
who  were  found  with  arms  in  their  hands.  Simon  made 
reprisals,  but  never  shot  without  necessity,  especially 
soldiers  without  arms.  He  sent  his  prisoners  to  the  civil 
authorities  of  his  district,  thus  washing  his  hands  of  them. 
He  was  very  severe  with  his  own  men,  and  one  of  them 
having  sold  some  provisions  to  the  enemy  was  judged, 
condemned  and  shot,  with  the  consent  of  the  village  priest. 
The  volunteers  were  not  all  armed  in  the  same  manner; 
some  had  old  muskets  of  a  style  dating  at  least  in  the 
previous  century ;  others  had  excellent  French  guns  which 
had  been  taken  from  the  dead  and  prisoners;  many 
had  but  bayonets  and  shoulder  belts  taken  from  the 
enemy;  others  had  only  pikes  or  poles  to  which  scythes 
had  been  fastened.  It  was  not  rare  to  see  among  the 
volunteers  some  old  priest  with  cross  in  hand  endeavor- 
ing to  encourage  the  men  and  inspire  them  with  more 
firmness  and  hardihood.  A  discharged  soldier  assisted 
Simon  in  mounting  his  sentries  who  should  signal  the 
approach  of  the  enemy.  A  bell  was  rung  and  the  parti- 
sans on  foot  or  on  horseback  ran  to  an  appointed  place 
of  meeting.  There  were  many  classes  of  people  among 
.the  volunteers.    A  village  deacon  among  others  on  horse- 

52 


VERESTCHAGIN    COLLECTION 

back  guarded  the  outskirts  of  the  village,  especially  at 
night,  letting  no  one  pass  without  subjecting  him  to  a 
serious  and  penetrating  inspection,  although  he  had  only 
one  eye.  Another  man,  Fedka,  was  also  noted  for  his 
courage.  He  was  always  in  the  front  ranks  with  his 
long  red  hair  and  beard.  On  the  whole,  the  corps  of 
Mayor  Simon,  consisting  of  perhaps  a  hundred  mem- 
bers, assisted  some  fifteen  hundred  Frenchmen  into  the 
next  world  and  took  nearly  three  thousand  prisoners. 


7S^ 

Bad  News  from  France 
H.  60  in.,  W.  46  in. 

On  Tuesday,  the  6th  of  November,  18 12,  the  Russian 
winter  made  its  real  appearance  in  the  form  of  a  violent 
snowstorm.  On  this  day  Count  Daru  accompanied  by 
his  staff  went  in  haste  to  the  Emperor,  and  held  a 
mysterious  conference  with  him,  which  naturally  aroused 
the  already  uneasy  attention  of  the  Emperor's  staff. 
This  was  the  first  courier  that  had  arrived  for  six  days. 
It  did  not  take  long  to  transpire  that  he  was  the  bearer 
of  bad  news  from  France.  It  related  to  the  conspiracy 
of  Mallet,  a  General  heretofore  unknown,  who  had  just 
missed  success  in  carrying  off  the  power  by  means  of 
false  dispatches  about  the  ruin  of  the  Grande  Armee  and 
the  disappearance  of  the  Emperor.  The  attempt  had 
accidentally  failed.  A  part  of  the  plan  of  Mallet  had 
succeeded,  and  if  Fouche  had  allowed  himself  to  be 
arrested,  the  Empire  were  lost!  The  Emperor  learned 
at  the  same  moment  of  the  crime  and  the  punishment  of 
the  guilty.  He  disguised  his  emotion  and  contented 
himself  by  saying  to  Daru,  "  We  should  have  been  in 
fine  case  if  we  had  remained  in  Moscow !  " 

When  in  the  presence  of  the  army  Napoleon  showed 
neither  fear  nor  uneasiness,  but  his  anxiety  became  all 

68 


VERESTCHAGIN    COLLECTION 

the  more  apparent  when  he  found  himself  alone  with  his 
immediate  staff.  He  then  displayed  astonishment,  anger 
and  rage.  But  when  quite  alone  with  the  thoughts  which 
for  a  long  time  past  had  permitted  him  no  rest,  his  mind 
was  filled  with  deep  sorrow. 

What  would  Europe  say?  How  it  would  rejoice  at  the  insta- 
bility of  his  much-vaunted  new  institutions,  and  at  the  want  of 
civil  courage  in  those  persons  who  were  the  props  of  his  State. 
Was  it  possible  that  the  era  of  revolutions  and  turmoils  in 
France  was  not  yet  at  an  end !  Was  it  possible  that  his  relation- 
ship to  the  imperial  House  for  which  he  had  made  such  great 
sacrifices,  counted  for  nothing !  Was  his  son,  the  hope  and  sup- 
port of  his  country,  of  so  little  importance  that  he  was  forgotten 
in  the  moment  of  danger ! 

The  Headquarters  were  encamped  near  the  Post  Office, 
and  the  Emperor  occupied  a  small  village  church  sur- 
rounded by  a  wall.  The  field  bed,  with  the  articles  of 
his  toilet,  harmonized  badly  with  the  ornaments  of  the 
old  church,  the  gilt  Slavonic  decorations,  the  pictures  of 
Christ,  the  Virgin  and  Saints,  which,  gloomily,  full  of 
reproach,  looked  on  at  the  unusual  preparations  made  for 
the  reception  of  an  intruder  who  forced  himself  upon 
them  with  such  scant  courtesy.  The  picture  of  Christ,  as 
well  as  all  the  other  paintings,  was  hacked  and  scratched 
and  desecrated  in  every  possible  manner  by  the  soldiery ! 
One  of  the  eyes  of  the  figure  remained  untouched,  and 
seemed  to  pass  judgment  on  the  scenes  around  Him. . . 

The  day  was  closing;  many  of  the  older  Generals 
waited  for  an  opportunity  of  gaining  audience  of  the 
Emperor;  but,  without  a  summons  they  did  not  dare 
intrude.  A  number  of  important  documents  lying  on  the 
table  awaited  his  inspection,  and  yet  Napoleon  sat  im- 
movable, buried  in  deep  thought,  holding  in  a  convulsive 
grasp  the  report  brought  from  Paris. 

"  I  am  no  longer  wanted  in  France ! "  he  pondered.  "  Good, 
let  them  elect  another,  we  shall  see  if  he  can  manage  better." 

And  how  had  it  come  to  this ! 

What  had  become  of  Alexander?  What  had  rendered  this 
good-natured  man  so  bitter?  It  is  true  that  Narbon  had  already 
told  him  in  Dresden,  after  his  return  from  Wilna,  that  the  Tsar, 
who  was  neither  weak  nor  boastful,  was  not  to  be  moved  from 

64 


VERESTCHAGIN    COLLECTION 

any  resolution  upon  which  he  had  determined;  but  still  it  was 
difficult  to  explain  the  hatred  expressed  in  all  Alexander's  pro- 
clamations and  manifestos. 

Even  at  the  very  beginning  of  the  campaign  they  had  to  con- 
ceal those  Russian  manifestos  from  the  army,  charged  as  they 
were  with  the  most  deliberate  and  venomous  insults  against  the 
person  of  the  Emperor.  The  soldiers  had  to  be  deceived,  and  the 
Russian  army  represented  to  them  as  demoralized,  ready  at  any 
moment  to  take  to  fhght.  They  had  to  be  amused  with  the  tale 
that  the  Emperor  of  Russia  would  soon  be  murdered  by  his  dis- 
satisfied subjects,  and  with  the  rumor  that  he  was  coming  as  a 
fugitive,  begging  the  Senate  for  aid  and  pardon  for  his  flight.  In 
the  meanwhile  Napoleon  himself  would  have  given  much  to  be 
able  to  enter  into  immediate  and  direct  relations  with  this  fugitive. 
How  bitterly  he  now  repented  that  he  had  so  contemptuously 
rejected  Alexander's  last  efforts  to  preserve  the  peace  —  the 
sending  of  General  Balascheff  as  delegate,  the  importance  of 
which  he  had  not  grasped.  This  was  evidently  Alexander's  last 
word  of  peace  and  friendship  before  the  opening  of  this  most 
deadly  struggle.  Thereafter  the  Russian  Emperor  had  not  only 
imposed  silence  upon  himself,  refusing  to  make  any  advances, 
but  he  would  not  even  vouchsafe  a  reply. 

As  Napoleon  could  not  make  the  first  overtures  in  person,  he 
had  endeavored  to  open  up  negotiations  through  Berthier,  who 
wrote  to  Barclay  de  Tolly :  "  The  Emperor  has  commissioned  me 
to  beg  you  to  communicate  the  expression  of  his  highest  regard  to 
the  Emperor  Alexander.  Tell  him  that  neither  the  vicissitudes  of 
war,  nor  anything  else,  can  ever  impair  the  sentiments  of  personal 
friendship  which  he  feels  for  him."  He  then  remembered  how  he 
had  again  tempted  his  fortune  in  Moscow,  when  he  ordered  the 
unfortunate  Tutolmin  to  appear  before  him,  and  the  poor  old  man 
had  lost  his  reason  through  terror.  Napoleon  had  made  use  of 
much  logic  to  convince  this  official  that  a  peace  could  easily  be 
concluded  if  no  intriguers  came  between  him  and  Alexander,  and 
this  he  begged  him  specially  to  hint  at  in  his  report.  The  old 
man  promised  everything  possible  and  impossible  in  order  to 
escape  speedily  from  the  outbursts  of  Imperial  rage,  which, 
against  Napoleon's  will,  were  manifest  during  the  interview. 

Still  more  unpleasant  was  the  recollection  of  his  attempt  to 
force  an  embassy  of  peace  on  Jakowleff,  a  Russian  nobleman 
seized  while  trying  to  escape  from  Moscow.  For  two  hours  he 
explained  his  views  and  intentions  to  this  strange  person,  whom 
his  soldiers  had  plundered,  and  who  presented  himself  before 
Napoleon  in  the  dress  of  his  valet.  This  improvised  ambassador 
had  certainly  pledged  his  word  to  deliver  the  letter  in  person  to 

66 


VERESTCHAGIN   COLLECTION 

the  Tsar,  though  he  made  promises  which  he  could  not  fulfil,  im- 
pelled thereto  by  fear  and  by  the  hope  of  obtaining  his  liberty. 

Ah !  what  a  pity !  Napoleon  felt  that  his  arguments  were 
powerful,  that  had  they  but  come  to  Alexander's  ears  he  would 
certainly  have  admitted  their  force.  "  If  Alexander  will  only 
express  a  wish  to  arrange  terms,"  he  said,  "  I  am  ready  to  listen 
to  him;  I  will  sign  peace  in  Moscow,  as  I  have  signed  it  in 
Vienna  and  in  Berlin.  ...  I  did  not  come  here  to  remain.  It 
was  not  necessary  for  me  to  come  here,  and  I  should  not  have 
come  had  I  not  been  compelled.  The  field  of  battle,  on  which 
the  war  was  to  be  decided,  was  in  Lithuania;  why  has  it  to  be 
carried  into  the  very  heart  of  the  country.  If  a  single  word  had 
been  uttered  by  Alexander,  I  should  have  halted  at  the  gates  of 
Moscow,  bivouacked  my  army,  without  even  entering  the  sub- 
urbs, and  declared  Moscow  to  be  a  free  city!  I  waited  several 
hours  for  his  word,  and  must  openly  admit  that  I  desired  it.  The 
first  advance  of  Alexander's  part  would  have  proved  to  me  that 
in  the  depths  of  his  heart  there  still  lay  some  affection  for  me. 
I  should  have  prized  it,  and  peace  woud  have  been  concluded 
between  us  without  any  intermediary.  He  need  only  have  said, 
as  in  Tilsit,  that  he  had  been,  as  far  as  I  was  concerned,  greatly 
deceived  by  others,  and  all  would  have  been  immediately  for- 
gotten ! " 

Was  it  possible  that  such  generous  words  and  intentions  could 
find  no  echo  in  Alexander's  heart !  Yet  he  had  received  no 
answer  to  the  letter  sent  through  Jakowleff,  and  he  now  found 
the  recollections  of  these  letters,  and  all  of  these  outbursts  before 
men  of  no  position,  with  no  pretense  to  such  intimacy,  very 
bitter. 

And  again  his  former  intimacy  with  Alexander  recurred  to 
his  memory.  He  saw  the  figure  of  this  young  enthusiast  as  he  had 
known  him  in  Tilsit:  they  had  sworn  friendship,  and  endeavored 
to  surpass  each  other  in  complaisance.  Alexander  submitted  will- 
ingly to  Napoleon's  superiority  of  mind,  experience,  and  genius, 
and  loudly  declared  that  the  "  friendship  of  a  great  man  was  a 
gift  of  the  gods."  Had  anything  happened  since  then  that  could 
not  be  set  right  by  mutual  concessions  and  treaties !  What  had 
induced  him  to  enter  upon  this  war  against  the  advice  of  his  best 
friends,  against  the  voice  of  his  own  conscience,  and  against  the 
interests  of  France,  which,  according  to  his  own  candid  opinion, 
was  not  in  a  fit  state  to  carry  on  at  the  same  time  two  such 
undertakings  as  the  Spanish  and  Russian  campaigns! 

In  vain  did  he  seek  for  some  vital  interest  of  State  which 
would  have  rendered  it  politic  to  throw  the  sword  into  the  balance. 
In  his  own  remembrance  there  only  existed  two  grounds.  The 
one  was  far  distant,  the  almost  forgotten  insult  which  had  been 

56 


VERESTCHAGIN    COLLECTION 

offered  to  him  when,  as  a  First- Lieutenant,  he  had  been  refused 
admission  into  the  Russian  service.  Vainly  had  he  sought  to 
prove  to  the  Commander  of  the  Russian  Mediterranean  expedition 
that,  as  a  Captain  in  the  National  Guard,  he  was  entitled  to  expect 
the  rank  of  Major  in  the  newly- formed  Russian  army.  His  re- 
quest was  refused  —  so  much  the  worse  for  the  Russians.  The 
second  was  an  insult  of  a  more  recent  date,  a  deadly,  personal 
insult,  the  rejection  of  his  suit.  The  hand  of  Princess  Anna  had 
been  refused  to  him.  Napoleon,  and,  as  if  purposely,  bestowed 
soon  afterwards  on  a  petty  German  Prince!  Refused  to  him, 
who  was  ready  to  make  all  political  and  family  concessions,  who 
had  explicitly  declared  that  even  the  difference  in  belief  would 
prove  no  obstacle !  No  suitable  reply  was  returned ;  either  an 
immediate  agreement  with  his  wishes,  or  a  refusal,  and  he  in- 
sisted on  an  answer  within  forty-eight  hours !  How  could  he  act 
otherwise?  He  could  not  play  at  being  lovesick,  nor  pay  court 
to  the  Princess,  nor  could  he  be  expected  to  beg  the  acceptance 
of  his  suit  as  an  alms.  That  would  be  unworthy  of  him,  not 
only  as  a  man,  but  also  as  Emperor  of  the  French,  as  a  ruler 
of  the  West.  He  showed  foresight  only  in  his  demand  for  an 
immediate  answer,  for,  instead  of  a  definite  reply,  matters  dragged 
on  until  finally  it  became  clear  to  him  that  either  Alexander  did 
not  desire  the  marriage,  or  was  not  the  head  of  his  own  family. 
Then,  in  society,  people  began  to  whisper  and  smile  —  this  was 
a  terrible  humiliation. 

Was  this,  then,  in  truth  the  direct  and  immediate  cause  of  the 
war!  Would  these  inhuman  butcheries  have  been  avoided  had 
Anna  been  his  wife  and  settled  down  in  the  Tuilleries !  Did  he 
allow  self-love  and  pride  to  obtain  so  great  a  mastery  over  him! 

And  to  these  questions  his  conscience  answered  Yes !    Yes ! 

Had  he  no  other  cause  of  complaint?     No. 

Did  there  exist  between  the  two  countries  any  irreconcilable 
differences,  any  misunderstandings  admitting  of  no  solution? 
No !  The  non-observance  of  certain  articles  in  treaties,  the  ques- 
tion of  English  goods,  together  with  his  violent  polemics  with 
Alexander,  were  but  mere  pretences  .... 

These  reflections  were  indeed  terrible !  .  .  .  . 

A  noise  at  the  door  of  the  church  made  him  start  up 
and  collect  himself.  Berthier,  bearing  dispatches,  entered 
unannounced,  again  running  the  risk  of  insult  from  his 
master,  unhinged  by  the  effect  of  these  mortifying  re- 
collections. But,  contrary  to  all  expectations,  Napoleon 
greeted  the  Chief  of  the  Staff  most  amiably.  He  was 
glad  of  company,  to  be  free  from  his  terrible  mental 
sufferings  and  qualms  of  conscience. 

57 


VERESTCHAGIN    COLLECTION 

A  Sea  of  Fire 

H.  22  in.,  W.  29  in. 

On  the  Red  Square  (in  front  of  the  Kremlin)  the 
guard  house  and  several  smaller  constructions  were  burn- 
ing. Zamoskvoretchie,  on  the  other  side  of  the  river, 
was  a  sea  of  flame ;  the  sight  was  extraordinary :  for 
four  times  twenty-four  hours  the  nights  were  as  bright 
as  day.  The  streets  on  fire  were  covered  with  long  can- 
opies of  flame:  fourteen  thousand  houses  were  burned  to 
ashes . . . 

24 
Peace  at  any  Price! 

H.  35^  in.,  W.  4iy2  in. 

"  I  wish  for  peace,  I  must  have  peace  without  fail ! 
Only  save  my  honor !  "  were  Napoleon's  instruction  to 
General  Lauriston,  when  sending  him  to  the  Russian 
camp.  Kutusoff  and  the  headquarters  deceived  the 
French  General  with  assurances  of  the  desire  for  peace 
among  the  whole  Russian  army,  which  gave  occasion  for 
Napoleon  to  say  to  his  Marshals  and  Generals,  who  were 
summoned  to  hear  this  joyful  news :  "  I  alone  knew  the 
character  of  the  Russians  and  their  Emperor  —  on  the 
day  that  my  letter  arrives  in  St.  Petersburg,  the  town 
will  be  illuminated !  " 


25 

Before  Moscow:  Awaiting  the  Deputation  of  the 
Boyars 

H.  52  in.,  W.  415^  in. 

The  battle  being  won  at  Borodino,  more  properly,  the 
Russian  army  being  thrown  out  of  the  way,   fatigued 

58 


VERESTCHAGIN    COLLECTION 

and  still  ill,  Napoleon  went  towards  Moscow  in  a  car- 
riage, but  he  rode  on  horseback  the  last  section,  ad- 
vancing with  prudence,  reconnoitering  with  the  cavalry 
surrounding  hedges,  ravines  and  crossroads.  Another 
battle  was  looked  for.  Very  often  they  encountered  earth- 
works commenced  in  haste  and  abandoned.  Nowhere 
was  the  least  resistance  made.  There  remained  to  be 
crossed  the  last  hill,  called  "  The  Hill  of  Salutation," 
because  from  its  summit  one  sees  the  sacred  city,  and 
before  entering  it,  the  Russian  pilgrims  there  perform 
their  first  devotions.  The  sun  illuminated  the  roofs  and 
the  golden  cupolas  of  the  immense  city. 

It  was  2  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  when  the  French 
advance  guard  showed  itself  on  the  hills,  and  before  this 
magnificent  panorama  they  raised  a  joyful  shout  of 
"  Moscow,  Moscow !  "  Behind  them  the  soldiers  rushed 
forward  in  disorder,  and  the  whole  army  repeated 
"  Moscow,  Moscow !  "  with  the  same  enthusiasm  with 
which  sailors  fatigued  by  a  long  and  trying  sea  voyage 
cry  out  "  Land,  Land ! "  Napoleon  stopped,  filled  with 
emotion  and  delight,  and  could  not  repress  an  exclamation 
of  joy.  The  Generals,  whose  attitude  since  Borodino 
had  been  somewhat  cold,  forgot  their  resentment  and 
came  near  to  the  Emperor;  the  marvelous  city  was  their 
captive  at  their  feet.  Carried  away  by  such  complete 
success,  full  of  hope  at  the  news  which  was  circulating 
of  the  arrival  of  a  Russian  envoy,  they  forgot  their  dis- 
content and  saluted  once  more  the  star  of  the  Emperor, 
which  shortly  before  they  had  supposed  obscured.  Napo- 
leon himself  could  not  help  crying :  "  Here  it  is,  the 
famous  city ;  it  was  time !  "  Soon,  however,  the  warrior 
showed  signs  of  great  uneasiness.  No  keys  were  sur- 
rendered with  due  respect  to  his  rank,  nor  was  he  met 
with  the  accustomed  prayers  of  the  citizens  for  clemency 
and  mercy  such  as  he  was  wont  to  receive  in  the  other 
capitals  of  Europe.  His  impatience  was  accentuated  by 
the  fact  that  an  hour  previous  he  had  ordered  his  General, 
Count  Durosnel,  to  push  on  to  Moscow  to  organize  the 

59 


VERESTCHAGIN    COLLECTION 

demonstrations.  He  did  not  know  the  Moscovites  had 
abandoned  the  city.  Not  only  the  officials  but  the  in- 
habitants had  fled  in  a  mass,  so  that  his  conquest  was 
empty.  No  one  dared  to  tell  him.  When  at  last  he 
became  aware  of  the  facts,  he  could  not  believe  this  total 
abandonment  of  the  city,  and  still  hoped  that  a  deputation 
of  some  kind  would  appear  and  relieve  him  from  the 
awkward  situation  in  which  he  was  placed  in  the  eyes 
of  his  army,  all  Europe  and  himself.  They  gathered  to- 
gether in  haste  a  few  foreign  dealers,  added  a  few  of  the 
lower  classes,  and  presented  them  to  Napoleon.  The  state 
of  the  poor  wretches  was  pitiable.  They  were  far  from 
thinking  of  welcoming  the  conqueror.  They  had  eyes 
only  for  his  face  and  for  the  splendor  of  his  staff.  It 
was  necessary  to  leave  to  another  occasion  the  speech 
to  the  Boyars  with  all  the  grandiloquent  expressions  pre- 
pared for  the  occasion,  whose  echo  was  to  resound 
throughout  the  globe.  When  an  unhappy  French  printer, 
as  spokesman  of  this  so-called  deputation,  had  enough 
courage  to  mutter  a  few  words,  he  had  the  gentle  word 
"  Imbecile  "  thrown  at  him  by  the  Emperor. 

A  Russian  prisoner,  who  was  present  at  the  scenes, 
testifies  to  the  stupor  of  Napoleon  at  the  news  of  the 
abandonment  of  Moscow.  "  He  lost  for  an  instant  all 
consciousness.  Then  he  became  nervous  and  rubbed  his 
nose,  took  off  and  put  on  his  gloves,  pullecj  out  his 
handkerchief  which  he  wrung  between  his  hands,  walked 
up  and  down  with  hasty  footsteps,  stopped  all  of  a 
sudden,  and  alone  appeared  much  agitated  in  the  midst 
of  his  Generals,  who  remained  like  statues,  not  even 
daring  to  move." 

Here  then  is  the  result  of  several  months  of  a  difficult 
campaign,  mercilessly  conducted,  a  farce  from  which 
he,  the  Emperor,  turned  away,  lest  he  should  add  ridicule 
to  his  profound  mistake.  His  hope  of  separating  Alex- 
ander from  his  Boyars  and  opposing  Moscow  to  St. 
Petersburg,  vanished.  He  mounted  his  horse  and  de- 
parted at  a  gallop  for  a  suburb  of  the  city. 


VERESTCHAGIN    COLLECTION 
26 

Captured 

H.  5954  in.,  W.  79^  in. 

Famine  was  not  long  in  appearing  after  the  departure 
from  Moscow  and  made  itself  felt  among  the  men  and 
the  horses,  and  as  the  country  had  been  devastated  all 
along  the  road  during  the  advance,  the  army  corps  found 
itself  obliged  to  provision  itself  by  sending  foragers  afar 
and  accompanying  them  not  only  by  cavalry,  but  also 
by  infantry,  and  often  by  artillery.  The  village  of  Simon 
Arkipovitch  was  empty  all  the  week  excepting  on  Sunday, 
when  the  peasants  still  met  in  their  devastated  churches. 
One  of  these  Sundays,  a  watch,  who  was  in  the  tower, 
sounded  the  warning  bell  at  the  moment  the  mayor  and  his 
people  were  coming  out  from  service.  They  only  had  time 
to  seize  their  arms,  but  they  were  already  surrounded  by 
a  detachment  of  French  Hussars.  Semen,  surprised,  did 
not  know  whether  he  had  fired  off  a  shot  or  not  in  the 
melee.  Completely  dazed,  a  sharp  pain  brought  him  to 
consciousness  as  he  felt  his  bones  cracking  while  they 
fastened  his  hands  behind  his  back  with  his  own  sash.  One 
of  those  who  were  binding  him  had  blood  on  his  cheek. 
"  I  must  have  done  that,"  thought  Semen,  "  he  is  so 
anxious  about  me."  The  Frenchman  was  really  enraged 
with  the  old  man,  and  fastened  his  elbows  together  behind 
as  if  he  were  a  horse  in  its  collar,  growling  all  the  time, 
"Attends,  mon  vieux,  tu  vas  voir." 

Semen  understood  nothing,  he  had  been  too  badly 
beaten,  his  bones  ached,  and  his  head  was  dazed.  As 
if  in  a  fog  he  saw,  besides  himself,  three  other  peasants 
had  been  taken  prisoners.  The  red-headed  Fedka,  the 
intrepid  hunter  of  the  French,  dumb  but  angry;  the  in- 
dignant narrator  of  the  profanations  of  Moscow,  Grigory 
Tolcatchef,  groaning  as  much  now  as  he  had  talked 
before;  and  the  lame  Jeremka,  saddler,  blacksmith  and 

61 


VERESTCHAGIN   COLLECTION 

armorer  for  the  repairs  of  the  pikes  and  sabres  of  his 
brothers-in-arms.  Semen  led  the  march,  courageous  as 
always.  Fedka  followed  him  closely,  avoiding  by  his 
agility  in  walking  and  getting  over  obstacles,  the  blows 
of  the  sword  or  the  butt  end  of  the  musket,  freely  be- 
stowed upon  the  infirm  Geremka,  whom  the  soldiers 
encouraged  to  rouse  himself  by  blows  of  feet  and  fist, 
the  unhappy  man  leaving  behind  him  on  the  snow  a  trail 
of  blood.  As  for  Grigory,  in  spite  of  his  strength,  he 
had  been  so  severely  beaten  that  he  stumbled  like  a 
drunken  man.  So,  tired  of  hauling  him  along,  the  soldiers 
consulted  together,  and  one  of  them  fired  a  gun  into 
his  ear.  At  the  sound.  Semen  and  his  companions  under- 
stood what  was  happening,  but  they  did  not  dare  even 
to  turn  their  heads  to  give  their  comrade  a  farewell  look. 
They  marched  this  way  for  thirty  or  forty  verstes.  All 
of  a  sudden  a  stream  of  men  accoutred  in  the  most 
peculiar  manner,  with  women's  garments,  legs  wrapped 
up  in  rags,  dirty  faces,  unshaven  and  swollen  by  the  cold, 
seemed  to  drag  themselves  along,  infantry,  cavalry,  all 
mixed  up,  in  the  midst  of  carts,  wagons  and  sleds.  This 
was  on  the  main  road  from  Moscow  to  Smolensk.  By 
the  side  of  the  road,  a  group  of  better  dressed  men  were 
warming  themselves  and  talking  near  the  fire.  "  Offi- 
cers," thought  Semen,  Among  them,  with  his  back  to 
the  fire,  was  a  short,  fat  man,  with  a  fur  hat  and  a 
green  velvet  overcoat,  on  which  sparkled  an  order;  he 
held  with  eagerness  his  hands  towards  the  flames ...  "It 
is  he,"  continued  Semen,  and  as  the  escort  stopped,  with 
a  military  salute,  he  had  a  presentiment  that  he  was  in 
the  presence  of  the  great  chief,  and  involuntarily  he 
knelt  down  and  was  followed  by  the  others.  One  of  the 
soldiers  was  already  off  his  horse  and  with  his  hand 
to  his  hat  was  making  his  report.  At  this  moment  fear 
overcame  Semen.  He  bowed  his  head  and  commended 
himself  in  a  fervent  prayer  to  Christ,  the  Mother  and 
the  Saints.  Fedka  had  also  understood,  but  he  only  stared 
more  fixedly  at  the  little  man,  saying  to  himself,  "  What 

63 


VERESTCHAGIN    COLLECTION 

assurance,  a  manikin,  that  one  could  crush  Hke  an  insect 
on  his  nail."  Napoleon  turned  towards  the  hussar  a 
weared  and  indifferent  face,  and  murmured,  "  Arms  in 
their  hands?"  "Yes,  sir."  "All  of  them?"  "Yes, 
sir."     "  Shot."     That  was  all. 

Semen  came  to  himself  and  raised  his  head  on  being 
shaken  and  compelled  to  stand  on  his  feet.  All  were 
excited;  a  carriage  was  driven  up  for  the  fat  man;  he 
got  in,  together  with  another  General  wearing  the  mantle 
of  a  Russian  Cossack,  and  drove  away ;  the  others  fol- 
lowed, some  on  horseback,  some  in  carriages. 

"  It  was  really  he,  brothers,"  whispered  Fedka,  greatly 
impressed,  but  it  was  only  for  a  short  time.  By  means 
of  halters  passed  round  their  bodies  the  prisoners  were 
fastened  to  the  trunks  of  willow  trees,  at  the  foot  of 
one  of  which,  while  warming  himself,  the  Emperor  had 
pronounced  their  doom.  A  bullet  in  the  head  of  each 
one  terminated  the  partisans.  Semen  Arkipovitch  and 
Jeremka  were  dead,  their  heads  falling  on  their  breasts; 
it  was  necessary  to  dispatch  Fedka. 

The  clothing  of  the  victims  became  the  property  of 
the  hussars :  the  fine  Sunday  caftan  of  the  mayor  fell  to 
the  wounded  soldier.  The  rest  divided  the  sheep  skins 
of  Fedka  and  Jeremka.  The  fear  of  the  stragglers  did 
not  permit  even  the  aged  companion  of  the  pious  and 
courageous  mayor  to  look  for  and  find  the  body  of  her 
husband. 

27 
Incendiaries 


28 
In  the  Kremlin:  The  Conflagration 

H.  51  in.,  W.  41^  in. 

The  conflagration  at  Moscow  began  during  the  night 
which  followed  the  evacuation  of  the  city  by  the  Rus- 


VERESTCHAGIN    COLLECTION 

sians.  When  the  emperor  entered  the  Kremlin,  the  drug- 
stores, the  oil  shops,  and  the  quarters  of  Zariadie  and 
Baltschouk  were  already  burned.  The  Bazaar  of  the 
Red  Square  was  taking  fire.  Marshal  Mortier,  if  he 
did  not  entirely  stop  the  conflagration,  at  least  by  his 
efforts  preserved  the  Kremlin,  but  the  following  days 
the  flames  extended  themselves-  with  such  rapidity  that 
the  part  of  the  town,  Zamoskvoretchie,  situated  back  of 
the  river  was  enveloped. 

"  For  four  successive  nights,"  says  an  eye-witness, 
"  one  could  go  without  candles,  because  it  was  as  light 
as  day."  A  wind  from  the  northeast  blew  the  fire  again 
towards  the  Kremlin,  in  which,  as  though  on  purpose, 
an  artillery  station  had  been  established  containing  great 
quantities  of  powder.  It  is  easy  to  understand  what 
anxiety  reigned  in  the  palace. 

The  fire  in  the  district  behind  the  Moskwa,  which 
lay  straight  in  front  of  the  palace,  had  all  the  appearance 
of  a  tempestuous  sea  of  flame  and  produced  an  extra- 
ordinary impression.  Napoleon  could  find  no  rest,  he 
paced  through  the  various  rooms  of  the  palace  with 
mighty  strides,  his  every  movement  betrayed  extreme  un- 
easiness. He  endeavored  to  view  the  fire  from  the  walls 
of  the  Kremlin,  but  the  heat  of  the  flames  compelled 
him  to  return  to  his  apartment;  his  face  was  red  and 
covered  with  perspiration. 

In  his  bulletin,  Napoleon  affirms  that  the  preparation 
of  the  conflagration  of  Moscow  should  be  credited  to 
Rostopchin,  but  that  is  completely  false.  As  half  the 
people  remaining  in  Moscow  were  composed  of  ragamuf- 
fins, it  is  not  impossible  that  they  undertook  the  task  of 
propagating  the  fire,  but  there  was  no  preconceived  plan 
to  burn  the  city.  If  on  one  side  many  Russians  were  of 
the  opinion  that  it  was  better  to  burn  their  goods  and 
chattels  than  to  abandon  them  to  the  enemy,  and  so  set 
fire  themselves  to  their  houses,  on  the  other  hand  the 
French  soldiers  went  about  seeking  for  plunder  with 
burning  torches  and  pine-knots,  setting  fire  to  piles  of 

64 


VERESTCHAGIN    COLLECTION 

wood  in  the  court-yards  without  taking  the  sHghtest  pre- 
cautionary measures.  In  such  circumstances  it  is  not 
surprising  that  three- fourths  of  the  wooden-built  town 
should  take  fire  and  burn.  The  terror  of  Napoleon  at 
the  sight  of  this  gigantic  conflagration  must  have  been 
great.  Having  made  great  sacrifices  to  capture  Moscow, 
with  a  desire  to  strike  Russia  to  the  heart,  it  was  with 
death  in  his  soul  that  he  saw  his  prey  escape  him  in 
smoke,  and  converted  into  piles  of  ruin  about  which  the 
Russians  themselves  would  henceforth  concern  themselves 
very  little.  The  plunder  of  the  city  commenced  with  the 
first  entry  of  the  troops.  The  news  that  Moscow  was 
full  of  treasure,  which  was  being  carried  off  on  all  sides, 
spread  with  lightning  rapidity  throughout  the  camp,  and 
when  the  first  marauders  returned  la'den  with  rum,  wines, 
cognac,  sugar,  coffee,  etc.,  it  became  impossible  to  keep 
the  soldiers  in  the  ranks.  The  kettles  were  left  without 
fire  or  cooks.  Those  that  were  sent  to  hunt  up  water 
and  wood  did  not  return.  The  sentries  even  left  their 
posts.  The  booty  was  so  rich  that  the  officers  them- 
selves gave  way  to  temptation. 

It  was  above  all  the  Germans  of  the  Confederation  of 
the  Rhine  and  the  Poles  who  showed  themselves  most 
grasping.  They  tore  from  the  women  their  shawls  and 
their  silks,  their  dresses  even.  They  took  their  ear-rings, 
rings  and  watches.  The  Bavarians  and  the  Wurtem- 
burgers  were  the  first  to  dig  up  the  dead  in  the  cem- 
eteries in  order  to  rob  them.  They  broke  the  statues 
and  vases  of  marble.     It  was  a  rage  for  destruction. 

Napoleon  decided  to  leave  the  palace,  and  he  left  by 
the  same  route  by  which  he  had  entered.  From  the  Stone 
Bridge  he  went  to  Arbat,  lost  his  way,  was  nearly  burned 
up  and  reached  the  village  of  Horoschevo  with  the  great- 
est difficulty.  He  crossed  the  Moskowa  on  a  pontoon 
bridge  near  the  Waganka  Cemetery  and  arrived  in  the 
evening  at  the  Petrowsky  Palace. 

65 


VERESTCHAGIN    COLLECTION 
29 

Vive  rEmpereur!     Taking  of  the  great  Redoubt  at 
Borodino 

H.  64^  in.,  W.  97>^  in. 

The  battle  was  still.  The  French  cuirassiers  ended  by 
taking  the  great  redoubt,  the  trenches  filled  with  dead 
and  wounded.  Napoleon  proceeding  leisurely  over  the 
battle  field  appears  in  the  distance  on  a  white  horse.  The 
soldiers  salute  him.  A  wounded  man  who  has  just  had 
his  limb  amputated  seizes  his  cut-off  foot  and  raising  it 
in  the  air  calls  with  all  his  strength,  "  Long  live  the 
Emperor ! " 


30 
On  the  Great  Road:  The  Retreat 

H.  7iy2  in.,  W.  ii9>4  in. 

Napoleon  made  the  first  part  of  his  retreat  in  an 
excellent  carriage,  perfectly  appointed  for  work  as  well 
as  for  repose.  The  vehicle  was  lined  with  furs.  After 
Smolensk  he  went  more  frequently  on  foot,  clad  in  a 
long  velvet  coat  lined  with  sable  and  ornamented  with 
gold  frogs.  He  wore  a  fur  cap  with  ear-flaps,  and  fur 
lined  boots.  The  cold  was  intense.  The  newly  fallen 
snow  concealed  the  condition  of  the  Smolensk  road : 
carts,  ammunition  wagons,  arms,  bodies  of  horses  and 
men,  were  piled  one  on  another  on  both  sides  of  the 
road.  The  officers  of  the  staff  marched  in  close  rank 
behind  the  Emperor,  silent  and  discouraged.  The  smile 
had  disappeared  from  the  lips  of  even  the  most  zealous 
courtier.  Napoleon  walked  some  paces  in  front  leaning 
on  a  birchen  stick,  sombre  but  inpenetrable.  On  the 
previous   day   he   had   an   opportunity   at   Krasnoie   of 

66 


VERESTCHAGIN    COLLECTION 

reviewing  what  was  left  of  the  best  army  in  the  world. 
He  must  have  been  greatly  troubled,  for  through  the 
whole  night  his  attendants  heard  him  lamenting  aloud, 
and  commiserating  the  state  of  his  soldiers  in  the  most 
heartrendering  terms. 

From  day  to  day  the  situation  became  more  critical, 
the  regiments  melted  away  visibly  and  the  men  who  re- 
mained under  arms  forgot  all  discipline.  The  personal 
prestige  even  of  the  Emperor  was  waning,  and  those 
on  whose  devotion  he  was  still  counting,  as  days  went 
on  manifested  an  indifference  not  far  from  hostility. 
On  one  occasion  the  Duke  of  Vincenzia  was  near  one 
of  the  camp  fires  and  wishing  to  use  it  for  the  Emperor, 
who  was  awaiting  with  his  suite  on  the  road,  overheard 
such  expressions  by  the  soldiers  that  he  advised  the 
Emperor  not  to  come  near.  Another  time  the  wheels 
of  a  heavy  cart  passed  over  both  legs  of  a  wretched 
member  of  the  Army  Service  Corps.  Rolling  about  the 
snow  in  his  agony,  he  called  out  to  Napoleon,  who  was 
passing  by,  "  Monster !  You  have  been  devouring  us 
for  ten  years !  Friends,  he  is  mad,  he  is  a  cannibal ! 
Avoid  him,  he  will  swallow  us  all !  "  Napoleon  passed 
by,  without  appearing  to  hear  this,  while  the  dying  and 
exasperated  man  continued  to  shower  epithets  upon  him. 
Surely  Napoleon's  mental  sufferings  were  greater  than 
his  physical  discomforts.  One  can  imagine  how  in  sleep- 
less nights  as  well  as  in  long  marches  on  the  white  plains 
of  snow,  there  came  to  him  most  trying  recollections. 

He  remembered  how  the  French  youth  entered  into  this  Rus- 
sian campaign  as  if  going  to  a  picnic,  to  a  joyial  expedition  of  six 
months,  promising  promotion  and  decorations.  They  said  to  their 
acquaintance,  "  We  are  off  to  Moscow,  we  shall  meet  again  soon !  " 
They  had  no  thought  of  hard  work  and  danger. 

Never  before  had  such  tremendous  preparations  for  a  war  been 
made.  For  a  long  time  before  the  war  began,  thousands  of  men 
of  all  professions  —  smiths,  locksmiths,  carpenters,  masons,  me- 
chanics, clock-makers,  had  offered  their  services.  Most  of  them 
were  not  even  aware  that  all  these  preparations  were  directed 
against  Russia.  Indeed,  public  sympathy  was  inclined  to  side 
with  Russia  in  her  war  against  Turkey,  and  the  general  question 
was:  against  whom  was  this  expedition  to  be  launched?    Was  it 


VERESTCHAGIN    COLLECTION 

England,.  Prussia, .  Turkey,  Persia,  or  even  the  West  Indies? 
Tchernicheff's  sudden  departure  gave  some  clue  to  the  answer, 
but  nothing  certain  was  known ;  moreover,  an  army  order  forbade 
all  discussion  or  mention  of  war. 

The  army  was  undoubtedly  the  finest  that  had  ever  been  raised. 
Eleven  corps  of  Infantry,  four  corps  of  heavy  Cavalry  and 
Guards;  altogether  500,000  men  with  1,200  guns  awaited  the 
command  of  the  Emperor. 

How  terrible  was  the  contrast  between  then  and  now.  It 
seemed  to  Napoleon  that  it  was  only  yesterday  that  he  was  in 
Dresden,  where  luxury,  splendor  and  adulation  had  made  him  a 
fabulous  Asiatic  demi-god,  showering  diamonds  upon  all  who 
approached  him. 

The  Emperor  of  Austria  had  protested  in  the  most  submissive 
manner  that  he  could  always  count  on  Austria  to  insure  the  com- 
plete triumph  of  the  expedition;  and  the  King  of  Prussia  had 
assured  him,  with  equal  humility,  of  his  undeviating  attachment 
to  his  person  and  loyal  support  of  his  policy. 

The  King  of  all  kings,  he  felt  himself  embarrassed  by  the 
attentions  of  the  monarchs,  who  thronged  his  ante-chamber,  and 
was  compelled  to  hint,  as  delicately  as  might  be,  that  he  would 
rather  dispense  with  so  much  adulation.  All  eyes  were  fastened 
on  him  with  astonishment  and  admiration,  in  expectation  of  great 
events  to  come. 
,    And  these  events  had  now  ta^cen  place ! 

The  campaign  began  gloriously.  Every  day  was  marked  with 
some  new  success,  and  every  officer  who  reported  himself  brought 
flattering  tidings.  Involuntarily  he  compared  with  intense  self- 
reproach  those  gorgeously  bedecked  cavaliers,  whose  joy  it  was 
to  serve  under  the  greatest  of  all  commanders,  and  who  had 
unconditionally  entrusted  to  him  their  lives  and  their  honor,  with 
the  ragged  fugitives,  scarcely  human,  who  with  downcast  looks 
were  painfully  dragging  themselves  along  the  roads  lined  with  the 
corpses  of  their  friends.    No  campaign  had  begun  so  successfully. 

Experienced  officers  had  even  at  that  time  remarked  with 
alarm  the  great  loss  of  men  and  horses  that  occurred  from  day  to 
day.  It  was  conceivable  that  they  should  succumb  in  this  fearful 
retreat,  but  even  in  the  advance,  against  an  almost  unresisting 
enemy,  they  had  been  worn  out  by  the  rays  of  the  burning  sun. 
and  had  fallen  by  thousands  on  the  road  from  the  combined  effects 
of  bad  water  and  poor  and  insufficient  food.  So  great  were  their 
losses  that  the  full  cadres  of  2,800  men  were  reduced  to  1,000 
and  even  less.  As  to  the  other  side  both  he  and  his  most  experi- 
enced officers  were  discouraged  at  the  exemplary  order  in  which 
the  Russian  army  retired,  under  cover  of  the  Cossacks,  without 
leaving  behind  any  wounded,  carts  or  guns. 


VERESTCHAGIN    COLLECTION 

Napoleon  was  silent  at  that  time,  but  he  clearly  recognized 
the  faults  in  the  organization  of  his  army  and  its  commissariat. 
The  necessary  system  was  lacking.  The  bridges  and  fords  on 
the  road  were  soon  destroyed,  but  no  one  repaired  them,  and 
each  corps  d'armee  forced  its  way  through  as  it  pleased,  for  the 
staff  did  not  trouble  itself  about  such  trifles.  No  one  took  note 
of  dangerous  spots,  of  precipitous  places.  Stragglers  were  to  be 
seen  endeavoring  to  find  their  regiments;  the  orderlies  could  not 
carry  out  their  orders,  being  continually  stopped  on  the  roads, 
which  had  become  almost  impassible.  From  the  very  beginning, 
discipline  became  dangerously  lax,  but  success  at  that  time  cov- 
ered a  multitude  of  faults.  Napoleon  himself  once  burst  out 
laughing,  instead  of  appearing  annoyed,  at  the  report  that  the 
lately-appointed  sub-prefect  of  Wilna  had  been  plundered  of  his 
effects  by  the  soldiers,  and  appeared  at  his  new  post  with  nothing 
on  but  his  shirt.  He  was  aware  that  the  soldiers  plundered  and 
ill-treated  the  inhabitants,  but  in  the  hour  of  triumph  he  troubled 
himself  little  about  this. 

The  Grande  Artnee  was  at  that  time  still  in  magnificent  con- 
dition and  Napoleon  well  remembered  the  scene  of  his  first  entry 
into  that  part  of  Russia  through  which  he  was  now  retreating  — 
a  beautiful  country,  with  a  straight,  broad  road,  planted  with  birch 
trees,  the  weapons  of  the  advancing  army  glittering  in  the  sun- 
light. He  remembered  his  disappointment  at  the  sight  of  the 
Dnieper,  that  celebrated  ancient  river  of  the  East,  which  proved 
to  be  quite  insignificant  and  not  even  picturesque.  Then  the 
Battle  of  Smolensk,  with  a  French  loss  of  6,000  killed  and  12,000 
wounded  and  the  terrible  conflagration  in  the  city.  He  can  still 
see  before  him  the  burning  town,  with  its  streets  full  of  wounded, 
the  Russians  setting  fire  to  their  own  dwellings,  and  retiring  in 
unbroken  order,  suggesting  to  him  a  possibilty  that  the  fate  of 
Charles  XII.  may  yet  overtake  him.  He  became  aware  that  his 
army  was  already  losing  confidence.  Where  were  now  the  jokes, 
the  laughter  ?  Even  the  officers  appeared  to  be  nervous,  and 
did  their  duty  impatiently.  He  called  to  mind  how  at  Smolensk 
he  himself  was  anxious  and  undecided,  deaf  to  the  prayers  and 
entreaties  of  his  most  experienced  advisers.  Murat  had  fallen  upon 
his  knees,  Berthier  wept.  He  had  not  been  true  to  himself,  his 
theoretical  plans  were  forgotten,  he  was  urged  forward  by  cir- 
cumstances. How  could  it  be  otherwise?  The  Russian  Calvary 
had  caught  Sebastian  unawares  and  defeated  him,  the  army 
could  not  be  left  with  the  impression  of  this  misadventure. 

The  march  was  almost  silent,  one  heard  only  the  crack- 
ling of  the  snow  under  the  feet  of  the  officers  of  the 
suite  and  of  the  bodyguard,  and,  in  the  distance,  the  sub- 


VERESTCHAGIN    COLLECTION 

dued  rumble  of  the  retreating  army.  Steam  from  men 
and  horses  rose  up  in  the  still,  windless  atmosphere, 
the  cold  became  more  intense,  and  the  Emperor's  thoughts 
more  and  more  gloomy. . . 

Then  he  thought  of  the  great  battle  before  Moscow, 
with  its  fearful  sacrifice  of  40,000  to  50,000  men,  and 
its  indecisive  result. 

Was  it  not  his  own  fault  that  this  had  been  merely  a  great 
battle  and  not  a  great  victory?  Was  not  it  the  fault  of  his  illness 
(dysuria)  that  the  battle  was  not  fought  out?  He  had  been 
unable  to  mount  a  horse,  and  was  compelled  to  view  the  battle- 
field from  a  distance,  the  battlefield  which  looked  like  an  ocean 
of  smoke,  with  the  din  of  musket  and  cannon,  with  the  shouts  of 
*'  Hurrah  !  "  and  "  Vive  I'Empereur !  " 

These  vexations  and  obtrusive  thoughts  excited  the 
Emperor  to  such  an  extent  that  he  hastened  onward  and 
began  striking  out  with  his  stick. 

Again  the  battle  rises  before  his  mind's  eye,  the  Marshals 
begging  him  for  reinforcements  to  strike  a  decisive  blow,  and  his 
determination  to  bring  up  his  last  reserve,  to  lead  his  Guard  in 
person  into  the  fight.  This  would  break  the  last  stand  of  the 
Russians,  who  still  held  the  positions  into  which  they  had  been 
driven,  but  which  were  becoming  untenable.  Soon  the  bloodiest 
battle  in  history  would  end  in  victory,  the  army  of  the  enemy 
would  be  scattered,  and  Alexander  be  compelled  to  beg  for  peace. 
But  now  Marshal  Bessieres  approaches  him  and  whispers,  "  Do 
not  forget.  Sire,  that  you  are  800  miles  from  your  base  of  opera- 
tions." 

The  excitement  of  this  recollection  causes  the  Emperor 
suddenly  to  stand  still,  his  suite  also  came  to  an  uprupt 
halt,  causing  many  comical  scenes,  collisions  among  the 
Generals,  cries  and  curses  among  the  grooms  of  the  suite 
and  private  soldiers.  Napoleon  turns  round,  looks  back, 
and  in  so  doing  his  eye  falls  involuntarily  upon  Marshal 
Bessieres  —  then  marches  on  again. 

The  deed  was  done;  and  the  battle  before  Moscow  is  marked 
down  as  the  most  sanguinary  but  least  decisive  battle  in  history. 
As  a  matter  of  fact,  Bessieres  had  been  in  the  right.  If,  in  this 
terrible  retreat,  all  the  troops  do  not  cast  away  their  guns,  if  some 
show  of  order  is  maintained,  if  the  Guard  still  retains  in  a  certain 
degree  the  former  spirit  and  discipline  of  the  army,  thanks  are 
due  to  him,  for  it  is  owing  to  him  that  at  Moskowa  the  Guard 
were  spared,  and  that  their  ardour  was  not  damped  by  the  losses 

70 


VERESTCHAGIN    COLLECTION 

to  which  the  rest  of  the  army  was  exposed.  What  would  have 
happened  if  this  column  of  thousands  of  picked  soldiers  had 
dwindled  to  some  hundreds,  without  courage  or  energy,  wholly 
demoralized?     Utter  destruction  would  have  been  inevitable. 

Horses  are  lost  by  the  thousands,  the  Calvary  marches  on  foot, 
the  guns  are  abandoned,  the  ditches  on  both  sides  of  the  road  are 
filled  with  men  and  horses.  The  Parthian  Calvary  were  less  bold 
than  the  Cossacks,  the  burning  plains  of  Bactria  less  deadly  than 
the  snowfields  of  Russia,  but  the  fate  of  both  armies,  Roman  and 
French,  was  in  every  way  similar,  both  were  destroyed.  The 
trophies  of  the  victory  before  Moscow  were  thrown  into  the  rivers, 
together  with  part  of  the  plundered  treasure.  All  recognize  that 
safety  lies  only  in  flight.  Generals  and  officers  are  on  the  same 
footing  as  their  soldiers  —  all  are  in  rags,  they  have  let  their 
beards  grow,  are  filthy,  black  with  smoke,  and  covered  with 
vermin.  The  army  is  but  a  hord  of  thieves  and  murderers,  neither 
life  nor  property  is  safe;  what  remains  to  be  stolen  is  stolen; 
comrades,  as  they  fall,  the  weak,  the  sick,  the  dying,  all  are  robbed. 
The  road  resembles  a  battlefield,  a  cemetery;  the  villages  along 
the  line  of  march  are  burned  to  the  ground.  .  .  . 

It  is  incomprehensible  how  Napoleon  could  have  remained  so 
long  in  Moscow.  He  alone  is  responsible  for  this  disgrace.  The 
Eylau  campaign  had  led  him  astray.  After  having  experienced  a 
Polish  winter,  he  thought  he  could  gauge  the  severity  of  the  cold 
in  Russia,  but  he  deceived,  cruelly  deceived  himself. 

Darker  and  gloomier  became  his  thoughts,  ever  more 
precarious  his  condition.  Around  him  crackles  the  frost ! 
France !    Paris !    How  very  distant  they  are ! 


31 

Napoleon  on  the  Heights  of  Borodino   (Moscow) 

H.  39^  in.,  W.  60  in. 

The  Emperor  reconnoitered  in  person  the  Russian  po- 
sitions at  Borodino,  and  examined  the  future  field  of 
battle  for  a  long  time,  from  the  steeple  of  the  Monastery 
of  Kolotsky.  A  glance  at  the  Russian  lines  sufficed  to 
show  him  that  Kutusof f  had  committed  an  error  by  forti- 
fying his  right  flank  and  neglecting  his  left.    He  noticed 

71 


VERESTCHAGIN    COLLECTION 

that  the  river  of  Kolotcha  turned  suddenly  to  the  right 
and  concluded  that  the  banks  must  be  very  steep  hills 
—  therefore,  there  was  nothing  to  be  done  on  that  side. 
On  the  contrary,  the  left  bank  of  the  river  was  visibly 
lower  and  the  Emperor  at  once  formed  his  plans.  The 
viceroy  was  to  make  an  attack  on  the  large  fortification, 
make  a  demonstration  in  front  of  Borodino  and  the  right 
wing  of  Kutusoff,  Poniatowski  was  to  turn  the  extreme 
left,  while  Ney  and  Davout  were  to  seize  the  bastions  of 
Semenovskoi  and,  wheeling  quickly  to  the  left,  drive 
Kutosof  f  back,  and  hurl  him  and  the  remains  of  his  army 
into  the  Kolotcha.  The  plan  was  well  conceived,  but  Gen- 
eral Bagration's  more  than  average  skill  and  the  extreme 
tenacity  of  the  Russian  soldier  rendered  it  of  no  avail. 

Happily  for  the  Russians,  Napoleon  refused  to  ap- 
prove of  the  plan  of  Marshal  Davout,  who  wished  to 
turn  with  40,000  men  by  the  old  road  to  Moscow,  the 
enemy's  position,  spend  the  night  in  carrying  redoubt 
after  redoubt  by  assault,  demolish  them  all,  and  by  seven 
o'clock  in  the  morning,  crush,  disperse  or  take  the  Rus- 
sian forces  by  attacking  from  the  rear.  When  we  con- 
sider the  mistake  of  Kutusoff,  who  massed  his  principal 
forces  on  the  right,  far  from  the  march  projected  by 
the  Marshal,  we  may  admit  that  the  Russians  would  have 
been  completely  conquered;  but  Napoleon  did  not  accept 
the  plan  made  by  his  great  tactician  because  it  seemed 
to  him  audacious,  as  he  said  —  because  of  professional 
jealousy,  one  might  add.  Altogether  the  Emperor  in 
attacking  the  Russians  from  the  front  gave  to  Kutusoff 
time  to  see  his  mistake  and  to  correct  it  even  under  the 
fire  of  the  enemy. 

He  saw  his  mistake,  and  during  the  battle,  in  the 
midst  of  a  terrible  fire,  managed  to  wheel  his  men  from 
right  to  left,  where  they  gave  Ney  and  Davout  so  much 
trouble  that  these  Marshals  were  unable  to  push  suffi- 
ciently far  forward.  Poniatowski,  with  his  Polish  regi- 
ments, only  managed  to  force  Toutchkoff  back  slightly 
from  his  position  at  Outitza,  and  thus  Napoleon's  cal- 
culations fell. 

72 


VERESTCHAGIN    COLLECTION 

The  French  army  at  Borodino  numbered  between 
160,000  and  170,000  men.*  It  had  occupied  two  days 
before  the  redoubt  of  Schewardino,  which,  after  having 
changed  hands  several  times  during  the  day,  finally  re- 
mained in  the  possession  of  the  French.f 

On  the  day  following  the  capture  of  the  redoubt  no 
battle  took  place.  It  seemed  as  if  both  sides  had  agreed 
that  everything  should  be  decided  to-morrow ;  why,  there- 
fore, a  useless  skirmish?  All  the  time  preparations  were 
made,  arms,  ammunition  and  uniforms  being  carefully 
examined. 

On  the  French  side  there  was  profound  silence,  broken 
occasionally  by  shouts  of  "  Vive  I'Empereur."  The  Guard 
was  filled  with  enthusiasm  at  the  sight  of  the  portrait  of 
the  King  of  Rome,  which,  having  arrived  from  Paris, 
was  exposed  outside  the  Emperor's  tent.  A  little  more 
excitement  prevailed  on  the  side  of  the  Russians,  where 
all  the  army  was  under  arms :  the  miraculous  ikon  of  the 
Holy  Virgin  of  Smolensk,  escorted  by  Kutusoff  and  all 
his  staff  was  carried  between  the  ranks  of  the  soldiers, 
who  knelt  down,  praying,  weeping  and  preparing  for 
death. 

"  This  will  be  a  hard  day,"  said  Napoleon  to  one  of 
his  immediate  suite,  "  the  battle  will  be  terrible ! "  On 
the  night  preceding  the  general  attack,  he  was  seized  with 
fear  less  the  Russian  army  should  again  evade  him,  tak- 
ing advantage  of  the  darkness.  This  fear  disturbed  his 
sleep.  He  continually  called  to  his  attendants,  inquiring 
whether  any  noise  was  heard,  and  sending  out  scouts  to 

*  As  at  the  crossing  of  the  Niemen  the  army  numbered  400,- 
000  men,  what  had  then  become  of  the  230,000  who  were  missing, 
according  to  the  statement  in  the  XVIIIth  Bulletin?  Whence 
also  came  the  Russian  regiments,  which,  according  to  those 
Bulletins,  were  killed,  wounded  or  wiped  out  during  the  previous 
seventy  days? 

t  It  may  here  be  stated  that,  after  this  success.  Napoleon  asked 
why  he  did  not  see  any  prisoners.  The  answer  he  received  must 
have  made  him  ponder  over  the  gravity  of  the  situation :  "  Sire, 
they  all  died  rather  than  surrender." 

73 


VERESTCHAGIN    COLLECTION 

note  whether  the  enemy  still  occupied  the  same  position. 
At  last,  at  five  o'clock,  an  officer  sent  by  Ney  requested 
permission  for  the  Marshal  to  begin  the  attack.  And 
then  began  the  battle,  the  most  sanguinary  ever  fought 
since  the  invention  of  gunpowder. 

Napoleon's  point  of  observation  was  the  best  that  could 
have  been  chosen.  The  whole  field  of  battle  lay  before 
him.  It  was  in  front  and  slightly  to  the  left  of  the 
redoubt  taken  on  the  5th,  on  the  borders  of  a  ravine. 
A  numerous  suite  attended  him,  motionless,  full  of 
anxiety.  The  determination  of  both  armies  was  so  great 
that  but  few  prisoners  were  taken,  the  trophies  also  were 
insignificant.  There  was  nothing  but  fighting,  fighting, 
fighting.  It  is  admitted  that  the  losses  on  both  sides 
exceeded  100,000  men  in  killed  and  wounded.  In  view, 
however,  of  the  official  statement  that  more  than  56,000 
bodies  were  buried  on  the  field  at  Borodino,*  it  is  prob- 
able that  nearly  150,000  men  were  placed  hors  du  combat 
in  this  single  battle.  According  to  his  usual  custom  of 
greatly  exaggerating  his  successes.  Napoleon  announced 
his  victory  as  decisive,  and  stated  that  50,000  Russians 
had  been  killed  or  wounded,  whilst  he  himself  had  lost 
only  10,000  men.  The  truth  is,  according  to  the  most 
credible  authorities,  that  the  French  losses  were  enor- 
mous, more  than  60,000  men  having  been  either  killed 
or  wounded,  including  forty-threee  generals  and  an  enor- 
mous number  of  officers.  Whole  regiments  were  swept 
away,  and  the  cavalry  completely  destroyed,  without  any 
important  results  being  obtained.  Although  the  enemy 
was  driven  back,  he  took  up  a  new  position,  where  he 
awaited  the  French  until  a  late  hour  at  night,  and  it  was 
only  on  the  following  day  that  he  left  in  good  order, 
taking  away  his  guns  and  baggage. 

In  order  to  turn  this  orderly  retirement  into  a  flight, 
it  would  have  been  necessary  to  attack  the  Russian  army 
again  and  again,  a  course  which  Napoleon,  terrified  by 
his  immense  losses,  was  unwilling  to  adopt.     He  was 

*  32,000  horses. 
74 


VERESTCHAGIN    COLLECTION 

implored  to  allow  the  Guard  to  advance,  as  a  decisive 
blow ;  but  he  refused,  remarking,  impatiently,  "  If  I 
have  to  fight  another  battle  under  the  walls  of  Moscow, 
where  shall  I  find  the  troops  ?  "  The  French  army  una- 
ware, of  course,  that  he  was  ill,  commented  severely 
upon  his  resolution. 

In  his  order  for  the  day,  the  Emperor  had  declared 
that  he  would  remain  on  the  redoubt  of  Schewardino, 
taken  the  night  before,  but  he  passed  the  day  on  a  hill 
near  by,  a  little  to  the  left.  From  time  to  time  he  tried 
to  walk,  but  his  illness  would  overcome  him  and  force 
him  to  resume  his  chair,  there  to  rest  in  a  fatigued  con- 
dition with  much  suffering. 

"  I  recapitulated  what  I  had  already  seen  during  the 
day,"  says  Baron  Lejeune  in  his  "  Souvenirs  of  an  Officer 
of  the  Empire,"  and,  comparing  this  battle  with  Wagram, 
Eylau,  and  Friedland,  I  was  very  much  astonished  not 
to  have  seen  the  Emperor,  as  in  preceding  years,  display 
that  activity  which  commands  success.  On  that  day  he 
only  mounted  his  horse  to  ride  on  to  the  field  of  battle. 
Then  he  sat  down  below  the  Guard  on  a  hillock  where 
he  could  see  everything.  Several  cannon  balls  passed 
over  his  head.  When  I  returned  from  my  gallops  I 
always  found  him  in  the  same  attitude,  watching,  through 
a  pocket  glass,  all  the  movements,  and  giving  his  orders 
with  an  imperturbable  calmness.  But  we  had  not  had  the 
joy  of  seeing  him,  as  on  other  occasions,  electrify  by  his 
presence  the  troops  engaged  at  those  points  where  a  vig- 
orous resistance  rendered  success  doubtful.  We  were  all 
astonished  not  to  find  him  the  alert  leader  of  Marengo, 
Austerlitz,  etc.  We  did  not  know  that  Napoleon  was 
suffering,  and  that  his  illness  prevented  him  from  taking 
part  in  the  great  doings  that  were  enacted  under  his  very 
eyes,  and  solely  for  his  glory.  Nothing  could  exceed 
the  courage  displayed  on  that  day  by  both  sid^s.  The 
blood  of  80,000  Russians  and  French  was  shed,  either  to 
confirm  or  shake  the  power  of  Napoleon,  and  he  watched 
the  sanguinary  catastrophes  of  this  terrible  tragedy  with 

75 


VERESTCHAGIN   COLLECTION 

an  appearance  of  composure."  "  Napoleon  had  dis- 
mounted," relates  the  Marquis  de  Chambray,  "  Berthier 
was  near  him.  He  wore  the  uniform  of  the  Rifles  of  the 
Guard.  He  remained  from  the  beginning  of  the  battle 
in  the  same  spot,  or  walking  up  and  down  with  Berthier. 
Behind  him  was  the  infantry  of  the  Old  Guard,  in  front, 
and  a  little  to  the  left,  the  other  regiments  of  the  Guard. 
He  was  seen  to  remain  apathetic  during  almost  the  entire 
battle,  in  a  spot  too  distant  from  the  field  to  be  able  to 
distinguish  the  operations  with  his  own  eyes,  and  whence 
his  orders  came  often  too  late.  In  moments  of  the  great- 
est importance  he  showed  a  marked  want  of  resolution, 
in  a  word,  he  was  not  on  a  level  with  his  reputation,  nor 
did  his  usual  luck  attend  him.  I  must,  however,  add 
that  he  was  suffering  from  a  very  heavy  cold."  De  la 
Fliise  tells  us  that  during  the  whole  of  the  battle  Napo- 
leon did  not  appear  on  horseback,  owing  to  illness.  He 
wore  his  grey  overcoat,  and  spoke  little.  A  group  of 
officers  of  his  suite  was  to  be  seen  just  behind  him.  The 
action  could  not  be  followed,  owing  to  the  dense  smoke 
from  thousands  of  guns  that  covered  the  horizon. 

"  One  saw  him  nearly  all  this  day,"  says  Segur,  "  seated 
or  walking  slowly  in  front  of  and  a  little  to  the  left  of  the 
conquered  redoubt  on  the  borders  of  a  ravine  far  from 
the  battle,  which  he  had  dimly  seen  since  it  passed  beyond 
the  heights.  He  made  only  a  few  gestures  in  a  resigned 
manner,  when  from  time  to  time  they  came  to  let  him 
know  of  the  loss  of  his  best  generals.  He  got  up  several 
times,  took  a  few  steps  and  reseated  himself.  All  those 
around  him  looked  at  him  with  astonishment.  Up  to  this 
time,  under  great  shocks  they  had  seen  a  calm  activity, 
but  here  it  was  a  heavy  calm  or  lassitude  with  no  activity. 

On  that  day  his  composure  indicated  lack  of  energy 
rather  than  self-possession.  He  remained  in  the  same 
place,  with  an  air  of  suffering  and  depression;  his  ap- 
pearance was  dejected,  his  look  gloomy.  He  gave  his 
orders  in  a  languid  manner,  in  the  midst  of  this  horrible 
din  of  war,  which  now  seemed  almost  strange  to  him . . . 

76 


VERESTCHAGIN   COLLECTION 

Murat  remembered  having  seen  the  Emperor,  reconnoi- 
tering  the  enemy's  Hnes  on  the  previous  day,  stopping 
several  times,  dismounting  and  leaning  his  head  on  a  gun 
in  an  attitude  of  great  suffering.  The  king  knew  that  in 
this  critical  moment  the  power  of  Napoleon's  genius  was 
chained  down  by  a  body  worn  out  under  the  triple  load  of 
fatigue,  fever,  and  of  that  malady  which,  above  all  others, 
breaks  down  the  physical  and  moral  strength  of  man ..." 

Segur  finishes  his  account  of  the  events  of  this  im- 
portant day  with  the  following  remarks :  "  When  he  re- 
turned to  his  tent  he  was  the  victim  of  great  mental 
suffering  as  well  as  physical  depression.  He  had  seen 
the  field  of  battle;  the  scene  spoke  in  louder  tones  than 
man.  The  victory  so  eagerly  longed  for,  so  dearly  bought, 
was  incomplete.  The  losses  were  immense,  and  without 
proportionate  result.  Every  man  around  him  mourned 
the  loss  of  some  friend,  relation,  brother,  for  the  lot  of 
war  had  fallen  on  those  of  most  importance.  Forty-three 
Generals  had  been  killed  or  wounded.  What  weeping 
in  Paris !  What  a  triumph  for  his  enemies !  How  dan- 
gerous might  be  the  effect  of  the  news  in  Germany! 
In  his  army,  even  in  his  tent,  there  is  no  sound  of  con- 
gratulation on  his  victory.  All  is  silence  and  gloom.  He 
was  pleased  to  tell  Europe  that  neither  he  nor  his  Guard 
had  been  exposed . . .  Murat  was  heard  to  say  that  on 
that  eventful  day  he  had  not  recognized  Napoleon's 
genius.  The  Viceroy  admitted  that  he  could  not  under- 
stand the  cause  of  the  want  of  decision  shown  by  his 
adopted  father!  And  when  Ney's  turn  came  to  give  his 
opinion,  he  showed  a  curious  obstinacy  in  advising  re- 
treat..." 

Those,  however,  who  had  not  left  his  side  alone  saw 
that  the  conqueror  of  so  many  nations  had  himself  been 
conquered  by  a  burning  fever,  and  above  all  by  a  return 
of  that  painful  malady  which  any  violent  movement,  or 
any  strong  or  lasting  emotion,  was  liable  to  provoke. 
They  quoted  his  own  words :  "  In  war,  health  is  indis- 
pensable, and  nothing  can  replace  it " ;  and  his  prophetic 

77 


VERESTCHAGIN    COLLECTION 


saying  on  the  field  of  Austerlitz :  "  There  is  but  one  time 
for  war ;  I  shall  be  good  for  another  six  years,  after  that 
even  I  must  stop."  He  did  not  stop,  and  this  was  the 
result. 


32 
An  old  Steward 

H.  iSy2  in.,  W.  I2>^  in. 

An  old  Steward,  who  is  relating  with  great  humor  how 
he  succeeded  in  buying  himself  free  from  serfdom  by 
cheatinsf  his  master. 


33 

Jolly  good  Fellows:  Russian  Men's  Costumes  of  the 

XVII.  Century 

H.  24  in.,  W.  18  in. 

34 
The  Road  at  Inkerman 

H.  30  in,,  W.  16.  in. 

On  this  rock  was  played  the  last  act  of  the  drama  of 
the  battle  of  Inkerman.  A  part  of  the  Russian  army, 
infantry  as  well  as  cavalry,  hotly  pursued  by  the  allies, 
in  terrible  disorder,  were  hurled  down  from  this  place. 

A  small  chapel,  erected  at  the  foot  of  the  rock,  con- 
tains the  bones  of  those  who  fell. 


35 
In  the  Crimea 

78 


VERESTCHAGIN    COLLECTION 

The  Temple  of  Diana  on  the  Cape,  in  the  morning 
—  as  it  might  have  been  3,000  years  ago 

H.  17^  in.,  W.  23^  in. 


37 
The  Monastery  of  St.  George,  late  evening 

H.  16  in.,  W.  29^  in. 

About  the  year  60  A,  D.  the  apostle  Andrew,  the  first- 
called  (brother  of  the  apostle  Peter),  came  to  preach  in 
Taurica,  especially  in  the  temple  of  the  goddess  Diana, 
and  it  may  be  supposed  that  a  cave  church  was  made 
here,  serving  as  a  foundation  for  the  monastery  of  St. 
George  in  the  ninth  century.  St.  Clement,  the  Pope  of 
Rome,  sent  by  the  emperor  Trojan  to  forced  labor  in  the 
stone  quarries  of  Inkerman,  found  as  many  as  2,000 
Christians  in  these  parts.  When  he  was  drowned  for  his 
preaching,  together  with  many  other  zealous  followers 
of  the  new  religion,  the  spread  of  Christianity  was  de- 
layed somewhat.  However  in  the  fourth  century  there 
were  already  regularly  appointed  bishop-missionaries  here, 
of  whom  Basil  was  concealed  in  the  cave  church  already 
mentioned,  before  being  tortured  and  delivered  up  to 
death.  The  Russians,  sailing  here  in  boats,  robbed  and 
killed  not  a  few,  and  committed  every  kind  of  outrage, 
till  their  famous  invasion  under  the  leadership  of  Vladi- 
mir, ending  in  the  taking  of  the  Chersonese;  the  cave 
church  had  become  then  the  monastery  of  St.  George, 
having,  in  this  manner,  an  existence  of  over  1,000  years. 


38 

In  the  Crimea 

79 


VERESTCHAGIN   COLLECTION 

39 
The  Rock  of  St.  George 

H.  12^  in.,  W.  15^  in. 

On  which,  according  to  tradition,  a  thousand  years  ago 
St.  George  the  Victorious  appeared  to  the  drowning  Greek 
sailors.     After  this  miracle  the  monastery  was  founded. 


40 
In  the  Transvaal 

To-day,  to-morrow,  as  yesterday, . . .  always  the  same ! 

41 
Mount  Kazbek,  in  the  Caucasus 

(16,500  ft.) 

A  tradition  affirms  that  the  Saviour  of  the  world  was 
born  on  this  mountain,  and  that  His  cradle  is  preserved 
up  to  the  present  day  in  one  of  its  gorges.  Nevertheless 
all  that  have  tried  to  discover  the  sacred  spot  have  been 
struck  with  blindness.  The  last  great  avalanche  of  snow 
on  the  Kazbek  filled  the  valley  of  the  river  Terek  with 
snow,  ice  and  stones  to  the  height  of  350  feet,  for  the 
distance  of  eleven  and  one-half  miles. 

The  classical  traditions  says  that  Prometheus  was  at- 
tached to  this  rock. 


42 
Mount  Elbrooss,  in  the  Caucasus 

(18,000  ft.) 

The  scene  of  many  legends,  the  highest  point  in  Europe, 
wilder  than  Mt.  Kazbek. 

80 


VERESTCHAGIN    COLLECTION 

43 

The  dry  Channel  of  the  River  Jumna,  India 

A  thick  growth  of  reeds,   frequented  by   wild  boars, 
panthers  and  tigers. 


44 
The  Snows  of  the  Himalayas 

The  highest  group  of  mountains  in  this  colossal  chain, 
raising  its  summits,  covered  with  ice  and  snow,  to  the 
height  of  27,000  to  29,000  ft. 

VaSSILI    VERESTCHAGIN. 


81 


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